Between Dreams And Plans
by DrScribbler
Summary: Bubbline fanfic, as if there's not already a million out there. :) Chronicles their whole story - from meeting to the present day (season 6 of AT in other words). Rated M for sexy goings-on in later chapters.
1. Prologue

It started when two extremely different worlds came together, unified by the most basic and understandable of all human weaknesses.  
Loss. Fear. Anger. Obstinacy. Loneliness.  
Because, even though it is between a candy person and a vampire, this story is one of the most human of all.

Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum was the very first candy person to come into existence through natural means, born to King Cotton Bubblegum and his wife, Queen Praline.  
Cotton's version of the "Candy Kingdom" was simply a small gathering of those who had been forged into being by the radioactive aftermath of the Mushroom War. Shunned by other apocalypse survivors as "going against nature," "twisted" and "freaks," Cotton congregated his fellow candy people together in a small group of abandoned apartments outside one of the larger cities.  
As more and more candy people came to seek refuge in his small sovereignty, Cotton vowed to create a territory of sanctuary, fair rule and freedom for all his people that would last throughout time.  
However, this mission was not carried out in his lifetime. Instead, it was fulfilled by his daughter Bonni in the form of her "eternal empire."

Cotton established the first ever Candy Kingdom near the Lost Cliffs and it would remain there until Bubblegum herself relocated it to where it stands today.  
Determined that his daughter would be a fair and caring ruler, Cotton raised her with the ideals of integrity, willpower, impartiality, sacrifice and tolerance.  
Most importantly, he told her to hold her own intelligence and strength of mind in higher regard than anything else.  
He taught her to be self-reliant, inquisitive, patient and just and he did it all with a loving, patient fortitude.  
Bubblegum's father had a greater impact on her character than anyone else, even in ways he himself didn't realize. For example, his far-reaching thirst for knowledge would rub off on his offspring, who would later seek out all the most informed and erudite tutors in all of Ooo in order to earn her degree in glycomics.

The roots of the other person involved in the relationship were not as cheerful or as loving.  
Born four years before the Mushroom War to a human mother, Marceline's birth was the product of Hunson Abadeer seducing a mortal woman. Although he helped to raise his child during her early infancy, the Mushroom War's impact on the Nightosphere distracted Hunson and, thinking she was safe with her mother, he left. Upon the death of her mother due to a wayward bullet, Marceline found solace in the nurturing care of her foster father Simon Petrikov.  
However, Simon's morose descent into madness would leave Marceline on her own again during adolescence, let down time and time again whenever she tried to depend on her birth father.  
From the age of eighteen onwards, Marceline learned to be almost entirely reliant on herself.

As a half-demon, her travels led her to the Underworld where she was brought under the kindly wing of a 2,000-year-old vampire named Gabriel. Gabriel would become her moral compass, teaching her lessons on honour and integrity, and to always protect those weaker than her.  
Their relationship eventually turned romantic and Gabriel would be the one responsible for Marceline's transformation into a vampire. They stayed together for about fifty years until they ended their relationship amicably, deciding to go their separate ways.  
They remained friends for the next ninety-six years until Gabriel's death at the hands of Byron Medrano, the long-reigning Vampire King. It was through her vengeful defeat of Byron that Marceline would later find herself with the title of Vampire Queen.

The two young women first met at the ages of twenty-seven and one hundred and fifty-four respectively.  
At the time, Bubblegum's mother had just passed away. "Organic candy people" had been discovered to be immortal if they looked after themselves properly, however "altered candy people" had life spans of about eighty to ninety years.  
Whilst in mourning, Bubblegum met Marceline (a vampire but not yet their queen) in a small forest by the Lost Cliffs one crucial winter's evening. 


	2. Roots From Loss

Bubblegum's eyes were sore from being rubbed, her throat rough from crying.  
Her father had hugged her, told her to leave the settlement and go for a walk to clear her head.  
So she had, hands stuffed in pockets, boots crunching through the light snowfall on the ground, and deeply engrossed in thoughts of death.  
_Mom._  
The word had become so painful, so raw, so incredibly hard to hear. It referred to someone who wasn't there anymore and would never be again. Someone who had read her stories as a child, played with her and soothed her when she was upset. Someone who was always there to listen when she was angry or hurt. Someone who was kind and loving. Someone who was gone.  
_Mom_.

Far above, Marceline sat on a thick tree branch and stared out into the night sky.  
_Mom.  
_What did that word even mean anymore? A woman who had died one hundred and forty-nine years ago. A woman who had cared for her like so few others had, bandaged her up when she get hurt, sang to her, played with her, _loved _her.  
Marceline bowed her head. Since becoming immortal, she had learned that there were many, many things one didn't just lose to the ages.  
One of those was memories of the people who you cared about, and who had cared about you.  
_Mom.  
_She'd had a dream last night with her mother in it, laughing her old carefree laugh and smiling at her little girl.  
The vampire smiled sadly. It had been nice to see her again.  
_Mom.  
_Far beneath her on the ground, a human shape turned into that of a wolf.__

Bubblegum was so engrossed in thoughts of her mother that she didn't see the werewolf glaring at her through the trees. She didn't hear the twigs snap under its feet as it positioned itself.  
She only heard its irreverent snarl when it pounced.  
The young woman whipped around in time to see fangs bared, claws outstretched and a huge, hairy body springing towards her.  
Instinctively, she threw herself to the left.  
The beast sailed through empty air and landed with a _clump _against a tall redwood tree. Bubblegum tried to pick herself up off the ground quickly. Even though her legs suddenly felt rubbery. Even though even the adrenaline pumping through her couldn't stop her feeling petrified. Even though she knew the chances of outrunning a werewolf were -  
Then she felt it.  
That terrible weight bearing down on her, smashing her to the ground. The horrific growling mere inches from her ear. The creature had leapt again. It was all over now.

Or so she thought. As soon as she felt the heavy weight of the beast on her body, she felt another more forceful weight...shove it off?  
Impossible, unless – She flipped onto her back and looked up. And couldn't believe what she was seeing.  
A tall, beastly demon-like creature was wrestling with the werewolf, shoving its strong body down onto the ground. But the werewolf fought back, kicking out its legs and snapping its jaws. The demon being then grabbed its snout, clamped its jaws shut and leaned down swiftly, biting the werewolf's neck in one quick motion.  
The dog-like beast let out an ear-splitting whine of defeat as it shrank back into human form.  
A thin, brown-haired man lay shivering on the ground in nothing but a worn pair of briefs.  
Just then, the demon transformed...into the shape of a tall, lean -  
"Vampire," Bubblegum whispered.  
She had been right. Only a vampire had the strength to take on a werewolf.  
It was like a rock-paper-scissors thing. Ghosts beat vampires, vampires beat werewolves, werewolves beat ghosts.

"Hey dude, you gotta be more careful," the vampire girl was now telling the bony man on the ground. "You could get yourself killed doing things like that!"  
He looked up at her, face flushed.  
"You're right man, sorry," he said and began to shakily climb to his feet. "I was locked in feral mode, y'know? I had to get my eats on!"  
"Yeah, I understand," Marceline said in a considerate tone. "Just try to have your next meal on time and not have to go hunting for flesh, alright?"  
"Alright, I hear ya," the man then turned to Bubblegum. "Sorry lady, I didn't really _want_ to hurt you."  
"That's OK," said the princess, even though her heart was still hammering. "There's a clearing up that way full of ra-ra bushes if you keep going north."  
"Oh man, ra-ra bushes? A werewolf's favourite alternative to flesh!" the man grinned excitedly. "Thanks lady! Bye other lady."  
And with that, he trekked into a clump of trees and out of sight.

Marceline watched him go, Bubblegum watched the vampire. Then she stepped forward.  
"I don't know what to say!" she began. "Thank you so much for what you did."  
The taller girl turned around at the sound of the other's voice.  
"Huh? Oh! No problem, werewolves are pretty easy for vampires to take on. It was kind of no big deal."  
"Well it was a big deal to me," Bubblegum replied. "Without you, I'd have been the dude's lunch meat! So thanks."  
"Eh, don't mention it," the vampire shrugged, looked down, paused, then looked back up. "I'm Marceline by the way."  
"I'm Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum, it's a pleasure to meet you," Bubblegum said in her most regal tones.  
But the vampire merely smirked, cocked an eyebrow.  
"Whoa, wait! _Princess_? Spit, do I get a knighthood for saving you?"  
Bubblegum smiled slightly, amused by the idea.  
"We're not exactly a kingdom that can dish out the knighthoods yet, we're still finding our feet as a monarchy."  
"Oh yeah? Which kingdom is it?" Marceline asked curiously.  
"The Candy Kingdom," Bubblegum reported proudly. "My dad is King Cotton. And my mom - " she stopped and then it stung when she went on, "_was_ Queen Praline. They've been trying to build it into a proper kingdom for over thirty years."  
Marceline nodded.  
"Funny story about me and the Candy Kingdom," the vampire said, suddenly smiling. "You guys actually sorta helped me out once when I was sick."  
"Oh yeah? Did we put you up in our infirmary?"  
"No, you didn't have one back then," Marceline laughed. "It was when I was a little kid and needed chicken soup because I was sick. One of the first of you guys gave me some. Well, gave to Simon to give to me."  
Bubblegum blinked in astonishment.  
"One of the _first_ of us? So that must have been - "  
"Oh around a hundred and forty years ago. Maybe more."  
"Wow," Bubblegum looked at the vampire in awe. "Do you mind me asking how old you are?"  
"A hundred and forty-nine. You?"  
"Just twenty-seven. But they've run some tests on my molecular make-up and genetics and discovered I'm immortal."  
Marceline was taken aback by that.  
"Wait, really? I didn't know _any_ candy people were immortal!"  
Bubblegum nodded.  
"The naturally born ones, yes," she explained. "Those cloned, grown or otherwise made, no."  
"Are there many naturally born candy people?"  
Bubblegum shook her head.  
"So far, no. I'm the only one."  
Marceline nodded, taking it all in.

"What about you?"  
The vampire looked up, dragged suddenly from her thoughts.  
"Sorry, what?"  
"I said, what about you? Where are you from?"  
Marceline gave a bittersweet smile to the ground. What a good question.  
"That's a complicated one princess. Eh...I guess, right now I'm from the Underworld, hanging out with my vampire buds."  
"But...you haven't _always _been a vampire?" Bubblegum probed.  
Marceline shook her head.  
"No. My dad is a demon and my mom was a human."  
"A demon? Like, from the Nightosphere?"  
Marceline smirked.  
"Head honcho of the Nightosphere actually."  
"Wait. Your _dad_ is Hunson Abadeer?"  
"Bingo. I'm Marceline Abadeer."  
"Wow," Bubblegum chuckled slightly at the thought that she was having such a civil conversation with the "lord of evil's" own daughter. "And what about your mom? Is she with your father in the Nightosphere?"  
Marceline winced internally, then gazed off to the far right.  
"Nah, my mom died when I was little. In the Mushroom War."  
There was a short, awkward silence.  
"I'm sorry," Bubblegum said sincerely. "I lost my own mother just a month ago."  
That brought Marceline back to making eye contact.  
"Oh wow, that sucks," she said, and not without sympathy. "I'm sorry Bonnibel."  
Perhaps it was the newly established familiarity over lost mothers or simply the fact that Marceline sounded so comfortable using Bubblegum's first name but the princess suddenly felt at ease voicing a concern she had been having for a while.  
"I'm not looking forward to being immortal right now."  
Marceline let out a low chuckle.  
"It has its disadvantages, alright," she paused, "But it can also be great."

"Oh yeah?" Bubblegum sounded sceptical. "How?"  
Marceline looked up to the sky and cleared her throat.  
"There's no limit," she said simply. "Most people have all these ambitions for their life and they're lucky if they get to accomplish even a small number of them. But us? Well, we've literally got forever. And I find that reassuring, y'know? The difference between dreams and plans doesn't matter for us because, well, we've got eternity to figure out the bugs."  
Bubblegum let the vampire's small speech wash over her, feeling a distinct comfort at them.  
_The difference between dreams and plans doesn't matter.  
_Those words resonated with her for some reason.  
"I like the way you think," she said, nodding. "It's optimistic."  
The vampire shrugged.  
"It's true. We've got forever."  
"That we do," Bubblegum said, also looking up at the stars above. "So what do you want to achieve Marceline?"  
Marceline let out a small laugh.  
"I don't know. Something that means...something."  
Bubblegum smiled at the simplicity of the words.  
"Yeah," she agreed. "Me too."


	3. A Soda Brand

_Author's Note: Guys, thank you so much for giving this fanfic a chance. I really appreciate everyone who's given me support and feedback on Tumblr so far and shout-out to  
coolkid6669 for giving me my first review!  
I know it might sound cheesy and/or melodramatic (wait, what am I talking about "might?" Of course it does!) but I appreciate it so much.  
I hope you enjoy the rest of this tale, I'll keep updating if people like it and, last but not least, I really appreciate constructive criticism if you have the time to give it to me. :)  
Thanks again buds!_

That night in the forest was the start of a camaraderie built from the mutual understanding of loss and memory.  
The princess and the vampire ended up sitting side by side on a log and talking for a long time until Bubblegum (somewhat reluctantly) decided it was time to go home.  
But, having a few more questions about being immortal, the two women made plans to meet up again and talk sometime, and that "sometime" ended up being just three days later in the same forest.  
Errands and duty then got in the way and the two couldn't meet again until nearly seven days later. And when life got in the way again, it was another seven days after that.  
It was then that they decided their night-faring discussions in the woods together would become a weekly affair, on Sunday evenings.  
It was during one of these strolls that the next phase of their relationship began.

"Do you still feel twenty-one?" Bubblegum asked the vampire as they made their way down a winding forest path.  
"Yeah, pretty much," Marceline plucked a leaf off a nearby tree and began absent-mindedly shredding it in her hands. "People say looks can be deceiving and that's true. Even when you glance in the mirror, your own looks can deceive you, ya feel me?"  
"Yeah, good point," Bubblegum considered this with a nod.  
"Plus, when you're immortal, life is always throwing new stuff at you," the vampire went on. "Life changes and with each change, you need to learn to adapt. So you never really get to the point where you're a grown-up who knows everything, because you're always getting used to new things."  
Bubblegum stared down the path ahead thoughtfully.  
"What about you?" Marceline turned to ask her. "Still feel like a nineteen-year-old?"  
The princess smiled.  
"Even younger if that's possible," she said in bittersweet tones. "A lot of the time, I still feel like a kid."  
A pause.  
"How so?" Marceline probed.  
Bubblegum shrugged.  
"My dad is constantly teaching me all this stuff about how to run the commune and how to go about extending it into a proper kingdom. And it just seems like I'll never be ready to be the leader of such a huge project, y'know? At least not without him guiding me through it all...And time hasn't helped with that. I still feel like a five-year-old learning which one is the salad fork and which one is the dinner fork."  
Marceline nodded, looking like she understood.  
"I get you," she said. "But really, all you need is more time. And come on Bonni," – she scoffed – "we have _plenty_ of that!"  
Bubblegum couldn't help but chuckle.  
"You're right of course," she said. "It's just a lot to get through my head that I'm going to accomplish it all in one life. Even an eternal life."  
Another pause.  
"You know," the vampire ventured. "Before his mind went, Simon used to always say this one thing to me when I was getting impatient or annoyed with how slowly things tend to go. He'd say 'Marceline, never be intimidated by the time it'll take to do something. Because that time will pass anyway.' And that's true, y'know? The time will go by no matter what, might as well use it to achieve something."  
Bubblegum smiled over at the vampire. It was amazing really – Marceline was so laidback as a person, at first Bubblegum had categorised her as just a nonchalant, light-hearted prankster who didn't really fully care about anything.  
But once you got to know her, you'd be exposed to these moments of complete insight, awareness and intelligence. Her new vampire companion could be so incredibly perceptive and intellectual about the world around them and how it worked, it was a fantastic thing to behold.  
"That's a pretty clever way of looking at," the princess said admiringly.  
Marceline shrugged again, back to her casual self.  
"I always thought so," she said. "And that's the attitude I'm trying to have towards my band at the minute. Even though it looks like, no matter _what _we do, we're going to get nowhere."  
Bubblegum looked up interestedly.  
"New band?"  
The vampire let out a cynical chuckle.  
"Maybe it's too ambitious to even call it _that_," she said. "Basically, me and a few buds from the Underworld have set up a project together. But it's not really going anywhere."

"That sounds interesting though," Bubblegum said. "Have you recorded any tracks yet?"  
Marceline made a see-saw gesture with her hand.  
"Bits and pieces, nothing major," she reported.  
"Well, do you want to send them to me?" Bubblegum asked. "I think sometimes it helps to have an outsider's look on these types of things. Granted I don't know a _huge_ amount about rock music but I can at least give you my opinion."  
Marceline stopped floating, put her feet down on the ground, frowned at the princess.  
"Y-you'd do that? For me?"  
Bubblegum stopped walking and smiled at the vampire.  
"Sure. I mean we're friends, aren't we?"  
Marceline would never admit how infinitely touched she was by those words.  
This intelligent, kind-hearted and discerning new acquaintance of hers had just declared them to be...buds?  
"Yeah, yeah, of course," Marceline stumbled to find her words. "Of course we are. Thanks Bon."  
The two started moving along the path again.  
"No problem," Bubblegum replied. "So what type of music are you aiming for?"  
Marceline thought about it for a moment.  
"Mostly punk rock, mixed with a few classic hard rock influences like Led Zeppelin and some of Iggy Pop's stuff."  
Bubblegum pulled a confused face. Marceline glanced at her.  
"What's up?" she asked.  
"OK, I've heard of Led Zeppelin," Bubblegum said slowly. "But Iggy Pop...that sounds like a brand of soda."  
The vampire snorted loudly and laughed for the next five minutes while Bubblegum rolled her eyes.  
"OK, OK, I get it, I'm musically impaired," the princess admitted.  
"Aww Glob, that's funny," Marceline chuckled. "Look, I promise to teach you about Iggy sometime, alright? Spit, a brand of soda. I'm never going to let you forget that one!"  
Bubblegum just smiled and shook her head and Marceline was secretly happy, knowing that if Bubblegum let her joke around and rip on her like this, it really did mean that they were friends.


	4. Rock Shirt

Cotton eased his safety goggles up over his face and ran his fingers through his short, cotton-candy beard. It was his go-to fidgeting habit when thinking.  
He looked down at the two test tubes in front of him, then turned to jot down some notes on a small pad beside him.  
"Fascinating," he murmured, then turned around. "Bonni, come take a look at this!"  
From the other side of the small, makeshift lab, Bubblegum looked up from the microscope she had been peering into and moved quickly to her father's side.  
"What's up Dad?" she asked him.  
"Look," Cotton held up the two test tubes in front of his daughter's face.  
Bubblegum peered inside and gasped.  
The two bean-like foetuses (one growing inside each tube) had tripled in size since...well, since just yesterday!  
"That's _incredible_!" Bubblegum gushed. "So your formula worked?"  
"Better than even I thought it would," Cotton smiled proudly down at the two test tubes. "Just think of it Bonni, our citizens will only have to wait _five_ months to have a child of their own instead of nine. This is absolutely remarkable."  
"Truly amazing," Bubblegum shook her head in awe. "I'm so proud of you Dad."  
Cotton beamed at his daughter.  
"Well, I couldn't have done it without _you_ Bonni," he said kindly. "After all, who figured out those equations for me when I was getting frustrated and couldn't even add two plus two?"  
Bubblegum smiled modestly.  
"It was nothing."  
Cotton chuckled at his daughter's humility and placed the test tubes carefully back on the table.  
"Nobody will ever have to be childless in the Candy Kingdom Bonni," he said. "All they have to do is give us a sample of their DNA, a sample of their partner's DNA and we can have a newborn for them in just a matter of months!"

"Astounding," Bubblegum said, still staring at the test tubes.  
Then she suddenly remembered something and looked at her watch.  
"Oh _spit_! Is that the time? I have to go get ready for when Marceline gets here!"  
Cotton smiled in amusement as his daughter tore off her safety goggles and lab coat.  
"Still helping Marceline out with her band?" he asked whilst checking the pH balance of the test tubes.  
"Yup, I'm supposed to go hear them play at a bar near Lake Szelezon tonight!"  
"Sounds like fun," Cotton said. "How do they sound? Honestly?"  
Bubblegum paused, thought about it, smiled.  
"Pretty good actually," she told her father. "They have a really energetic sound, very lively, very vigorous. There's a good atmosphere when they play, it's exciting."  
Cotton nodded, enjoying listening to his daughter while he worked.  
"And then," Bubblegum went on, her tone changing slightly. "They have some songs that are so..._poignant_, y'know? They just mean something and they strike me so powerfully. The lyrics, the melody, the ambience, everything. It just _gets _to you."  
"Good music will do that to you," Cotton said. "And it sounds like they make good music. Tell you what, if they put on a good show tonight, you should invite them to play at the Candy Kingdom fundraiser next weekend."  
Bubblegum's eyes widened.  
"R-really? You think that'd be appropriate?"  
Cotton chuckled.  
"Sure, why not? It's a public fundraiser, not a royal event. And it'll give the teenagers something to be excited about."  
Bubblegum nodded.  
"OK, I'll say it to them. Thanks Dad!"  
"No problem sweetie. Now go get ready, I don't want you to be late!"  
"OK," Bubblegum leaned in to give her father a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Dad, don't wait up."  
"Goodnight Bonnibel, have fun."  
As Bubblegum left the laboratory, Cotton smiled to himself. He loved that his daughter had a new friend that she seemed to be able to connect with and trust so completely. And, he quietly admitted to himself in the silence of his workspace, it was nice to know his immortal daughter wouldn't be alone when death eventually caught up to him and reunited him with his wife.

Marceline was sitting on the handrail of Bubblegum's small balcony on the second floor of the "royal residence," waiting for her. It was hardly a castle but the two-storey house provided everything the Bubblegum family needed to run their settlement.  
The vampire tapped her foot rhythmically against the ground, humming an old song by a 1990's pop punk band.  
She wondered if music would ever reach such a plateau of variety and quality again, like it had done before the apocalypse.  
She wondered if Marceline & The Scream Queens could be a part of restoring that glory.  
Suddenly, the balcony doors slid open and Bubblegum walked out.  
"Hey Bon," Marceline smiled and winked at her friend.  
"Hey Marceline," the princess replied. "I thought I heard you out here...Why'd you come up this way?"  
Marceline shrugged.  
"It's easier to take off when you're already at a high point."  
"Right but...we're _walking_ to the bar?"  
The vampire showed her fangs in a mischievous grin.  
"Who said that?" she asked.  
"Eh...gravity? I can't fly you butt."  
"No but _I_ can."

Bubblegum let out a small nervous laugh.  
"What? You gonna _carry_ me?"  
"It'll be faster that way," Marceline said. "Bongo is kind of worried about the drumming in the verses of the new song so I said we'd arrive a little early and work out the kinks."  
Bubblegum nodded, unsure of what to say.  
Marceline grinned again.  
"You _scared_?" she asked.  
"What? B- No!" Bubblegum spluttered. "I'm just-just, well I guess I'm just-just-"  
"Just, just, just," Marceline mimicked in jest and laughed at the look on the princess' face. "Come on Bonni, trust me, I swear I won't drop you."  
"Well..."  
Bubblegum looked at the vampire's playful grin, and behind the impish smile, the roguish body language, she could see...that there was no reason not to trust her.  
They'd known each for about five months now and while she could be a mischievous butt and a layabout sometimes, Marceline had never given Bubblegum any reason to outright doubt her.  
She knew she could trust the vampire. Marceline would never hurt her.  
"Oh Glob, why not? Turn around and let me climb aboard," Bubblegum sighed.  
"Haha, that's the spirit!" Marceline turned around, leaned her arms on the handrail and let Bubblegum hitch herself up onto the taller girl's back.  
She wrapped her legs securely around the vampire's waist and gripped her shoulders.  
"Ready?" Marceline asked, in that same playful tone.  
"Ready," Bubblegum answered, pushing all the nervousness she felt out of her voice.  
"OK, here we goooooooooooooooo!"

Marceline shot into the air, rose higher and higher and then swooped back down, flying swiftly through the small settlement of the candy people before firing up towards the moon again.  
"Stop showing off and get us to the gig!" Bubblegum shouted over the sound of the rushing wind, but her voice was not without amusement.  
"You got it princess!" Marceline yelled back and lunged again, heading straight towards the small rough and ready bar near Lake Szelezon.

Bubblegum stood near the back, unable to keep the smile off her face as she watched Marceline onstage with her band.  
The passion that girl had! Marceline twanged her bass fiercely, surrounded by her band mates, as they fervently ploughed through each song on their setlist.  
The princess looked around and was thrilled to see that the packed bar loved them, those who weren't up by the stage in the mosh pit were either standing further back nodding their heads to the rhythm, or further back again grinning up at the stage and enjoying the music.  
It was a _great_ atmosphere.  
As usual.

During one of their slower, more affecting songs where Marceline sang a melancholy tune accompanied by the sounds of Keila's softly plucked acoustic guitar, Bubblegum found herself lost in thought.  
Guy and Bongo were both standing at the edge of the stage, arms crossed and watching their band mates with pleased expressions. They were _both_ obviously happy with how the night was going but Bubblegum found herself looking closer at Guy.  
The long-ish brown hair, the small goatee, the friendly grin, he was a good-looking guy. And Keila had pulled her to the side the other day to tell her that Guy had taken a liking to her.  
And she had reacted...well? She was incredibly flattered, she liked Guy, she thought he was nice and funny and interesting and she...well...maybe she had the capacity to feel the same way about him.  
Guy grinned even broader as Marceline and Keila launched back into the heart-rending chorus.  
Maybe.  
Bubblegum looked at Marceline as she sang, strummed the bass, got really, truly _lost_ in the music. She smiled.  
Yeah, Guy was cool. But right now she wanted to focus on this friendship and not complicate it by dating her new friend's friends.  
Right now she wanted to concentrate on building up things for Marceline, helping her out and promoting her band.  
She looked over to the right and saw the bar's owner watching the show from behind the bar, looking like he was enjoying it.  
Bubblegum made up her mind, rose from her seat and went over to talk to him.

Finally, after the band's dynamic closing number, the bar erupted into cheering, and the bar owner walked onstage.  
"Give it up for Marceline & The Scream Queens!" he demanded into the microphone and the whole place exploded into fresh appreciation and applause.  
"If you enjoyed tonight's performance, you can catch these guys at the Candy Kingdom's fundraiser next Saturday night! Help raise gold for the kingdom to expand itself and provide for its citizens, all our welcome!"  
The bar owner smiled at Bubblegum who nodded. He had said it exactly right.  
Meanwhile, the band members were looking at each other confusedly.  
Marceline peered out into the audience and caught Bubblegum's eye, motioning in a "what-does-he-mean?" kind of way.  
Bubblegum only smiled in response.

Up onstage, Keila grabbed Marceline's shoulders and gasped.  
"Dude, _Bonni_ must have booked us in to play at the fundraiser!"  
"Oh man, that's awesome, there's going to be _tonnes_ of people there!" Bongo cried excitedly.  
Guy laughed in a shrill, animated tone.  
"That's _epic_! What a girl!"  
As her band mates cheered and high-fived each other, Marceline just smiled gratefully down at the princess, who beamed back at her.  
And right then, the vampire felt a huge rush of love for her new friend, the type of love that held itself on the very fine line between platonic and something else.

After celebratory drinks and everyone in the band praising Bubblegum, Marceline flew her back to her room in the settlement.  
"You're right, you know," Bubblegum said, sliding off her back. "Flying is a lot quicker."  
"Yeah, yeah, just don't get used to me lugging you around everywhere though," Marceline joked and Bubblegum swatted playfully at her.  
The two girls laughed and grinned at each other.  
"Thanks again Bonni," Marceline said. "Playing at the fundraiser will be great exposure for us. Loads of people admire what you guys have accomplished so far so there'll be a _lot_ of people here to support your kingdom next Saturday night."  
"I hope so," Bubblegum replied. "And _you'll_ give them all something to look forward to."  
Marceline looked off into space and grinned, obviously excited by the idea.  
"That's awesome," she muttered dreamily, and looked back at Bubblegum. "You're a really good friend Bonnibel."  
Bubblegum smiled, visibly touched.  
"So are you Marcy," she countered. "And you don't have to keep thanking me – the Scream Queens _earned _this you know!"  
Before the last few words were even out of her mouth, Marceline had pulled her into a tight, personal hug.  
Bubblegum, slightly shocked to find herself in the embrace of someone she had viewed as being so completely _unaffectionate_, froze for a moment before hugging her back warmly.  
"Still though, thanks again," Marceline said as they pulled apart.  
"Hey man, don't mention it," Bubblegum smiled. "And remember – sound check no later than seven o' clock next Saturday!"  
"Gotcha, see you then PB!"  
"See ya Marceline!"  
Bubblegum watched as Marceline soared off through the sky and found herself wondering if her pushing Guy was just about concentrating on her and Marceline's _friendship_.

As could be expected, Marceline & The Scream Queens' set at the fundraiser the following Saturday was a roaring success.  
The merch stand completely sold out of EP's, T-shirts, sweatbands and posters and the band left the stage sweaty, pumped full of adrenaline and totally overjoyed.  
Afterwards, they sat by the bar at the far end of the settlement's square, talking and joking, and signing to occasional autograph for a new fan.  
Although contently sitting between Keila and a couple of her Candy Kingdom friends for most of the night, Bubblegum eventually found herself next to Marceline.  
The lead singer tapped the princess' arm.  
"Hey, I have something for you," she said in a mischievous voice and Bubblegum raised her eyebrows curiously.  
Marceline stood up, motioned for her to follow and the two moved down behind the bar area, looping around the post office and greengrocer's and down towards the back of the stage.  
"What's up Marcy?" Bubblegum asked.  
"Check it, there was one left over in the boxes," Marceline said as she triumphantly held up one of The Scream Queens' promotional T-shirts.  
"Oh sweet!" Bubblegum cried. "You should auction it off! With the way you guys played, you'll make a _lot_ for it!"  
But Marceline was already shaking her head.  
"Nah," she said simply. "I want you to have it. As a thank you for tonight. As a thank you for _everything _you've done for the band. Who knows? Without you, we might still be lounging around my living room, doing nothing."  
Bubblegum took the shirt off of Marceline and held it up to look at it.  
It was a strange, edgy design Bongo had drawn, a snake wound around two candy pieces that looked like they'd seen happier days.  
"I mean, I know it's not really your _style_ but-"  
But Marceline was interrupted (and a little dazed) by Bubblegum leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek.  
"Thanks Marceline, that's really sweet of you."  
The vampire blushed slightly, her eyes widening.  
"Uh...yeah. N-no problem Bonni," she laughed nervously. "You deserve it, OK?"  
Bubblegum smiled broader in reply.  
Suddenly they heard footsteps behind them and Guy appeared.  
"Hey!" he laughed. "What are you guys doing back here? Come on, we're having a shots competition!"  
Bubblegum and Marceline both laughed at his gleeful (ever-so-drunk) face and hurried to join in with the fun.

That night, Marceline wrote a melancholy song called "Falling For A Friend" while Bubblegum slept safe and happy in her new rock shirt.


	5. Adventure Time With PB & Marceline

Because of the exposure they got at the fundraiser, plenty of doors opened for Marceline & The Scream Queens that summer.  
They played plenty of gigs all over Ooo and kept themselves busy writing new material and recording EP's to sell at their shows.  
Bubblegum was busy with her father in the lab and saw very little of Marceline that summer...except for their Sunday night walks.  
Every Sunday night, rain or shine, the two of them went for a walk where they first met – the woods near the Lost Cliffs.  
Their walks often lasted for hours and they seemed to discuss nearly everything during them. From politics to movies and back again, there seemed to be nothing the two friends didn't talk about. They also made sure to keep up with one another's lives - Bubblegum told Marceline all about her and her father's experiments, while Marceline kept Bubblegum up to date with everything new happening in the band.  
They joked around on their walks, shared countless private jokes and laughed until their stomachs hurt.  
Both girls looked forward all week to their Sunday night strolls together.  
They both knew that if anything was bothering them, they could talk to the other about it. Nothing was off limits in their conversations.  
Except for the growing feelings both friends were developing for each other – something they both thought only _they _were experiencing.

It was during one of these nighttime saunters, while sitting in a treetop and chatting, that their first big adventure together was planned.  
"So basically the herb my father needs to extract the enzyme from only grows in the Haunted Swamp," Bubblegum was telling Marceline in a defeated voice. "And since there's no way of getting to it, this experiment has hit the breaks until further notice."  
"Wait, _why_ can't you get it?"  
"Marcy, no one knows what's _in_ that swamp! It's uncharted, going there could be totally lethal!"  
"Ah, my favourite type of adventure," Marceline smirked. "Why don't I go get it for you guys Bonni?"  
"No Marceline, Glob!" Bubblegum cried, jerking into an upright position from where she had been leaning against the tree bark. "Going to the Haunted Swamp _alone_? Are you crazy?"  
"OK, so come with me," Marceline retorted simply.  
"Wh- Huh?"  
"Come. With. Me."  
Marceline's sarcastic act of sounding it out so slowly made Bubblegum frown.  
"I heard you," she said. "I just think you're nuts."

Marceline sighed and floated upwards from the tree.  
"Look, all I know is that you guys need this plant. And you know where the plant is. So either _I'm_ going to get it or _we're_ going to get it. Your choice Bon-Bon."  
Bubblegum stared disbelievingly up at the vampire, then rolled her eyes and groaned.  
"You're so _stubborn_!" she complained.  
"Yup," agreed the vampire with a smile, crossing her arms doggedly.  
Bubblegum shook her head and sighed, whitewashed.  
"OK Marceline," she said. "We'll go to the Haunted Swamp, b-"  
"I knew you'd see it my way," Marceline grinned smugly.  
"_But,_" Bubblegum went on. "On one condition."  
"What's that P-Bubs?"  
Bubblegum looked very determinedly up at the vampire.  
"If there's even a _small _chance you might get hurt, we're getting out of there. Pronto."  
Marceline felt her stomach jolt a little bit, touched that the princess cared so much for her.  
In response, she floated back down to the branch and sat right next to the princess.  
"OK Bonni," she said. "I won't let anything happen to me."  
Bubblegum yawned and rested her head lightly on Marceline's shoulder.  
"Good," she said. "Then I'll tell my father that we can keep going with the experiment!"  
Marceline nodded.  
"Great," she said, then wavered. "And by the way, I won't let anything happen to _you_ either."  
Bubblegum smiled into the vampire's shoulder.  
"I know you won't," she said confidently, and closed her eyes.  
Marceline glanced down at the girl beside her, then gazed up into the dark, starry sky above them.  
Then she rested her head lightly on Bubblegum's and asked her what she knew about constellations.

The next night (just after the sun set), the two friends stood on the edge of the Haunted Swamp, staring into the branches of dark, gnarled trees before them.  
"OK," Bubblegum began resolutely. "I spent all day today doing my research on this place. Although there's no reports of ghosts in this area, it's rumoured to be home to some pretty badass creatures."  
"Alright," Marceline nodded. "Like what?"  
"Demons," Bubblegum said. "Lots of 'em. And plenty of different varieties. But like I said, this whole territory is uncharted. We're just going to have to take it as it comes."  
"Sounds doable," Marceline said determinedly. "You ready for this?"  
Bubblegum peered into the swamp. She knew that whatever lay ahead of them was nameless, possibly dangerous and almost entirely unknown. She knew that there was plenty of reason to be afraid.  
But she also felt a type of fearful excitement rising in her chest, an eagerness for the adventure in store for them with all its twists and turns.  
And she knew she was with Marceline. So she was safe.  
She smirked over at her friend the vampire.  
"Yep," she said. "Let's do this!"  
Marceline smiled back.

Marceline picked up the princess by the shoulders and carried her over the shallow, murky ditch that separated the Haunted Swamp from the vicinity around it.  
Once on the bank on the other side, they pushed their way through trees and bushes and ventured into the swamp.  
All around them grew plants of extraordinary shapes and colours. There were mauve flowers that responded to motion and burst into bloom as they went past, huge cobalt bushes that let out a faint whistling noise and what looked like bamboo, but as pink as Bubblegum's hair, that shot upwards from the ground and tangled itself into the trees above.  
"Whoa, this place is frea-kay," Marceline commented as they went past a big red tree with leaves that sprang to flight when they approached it. "What does the herb we're looking for look like?"  
"Green," Bubblegum told her, scanning the ground. "Kind of a _sea_ green shade, and it'll be emitting a sort of neon lime glow."  
The princess reached into her coat and took a folded piece of paper out. She unfolded it and handed it back to Marceline.  
"See?"  
Marceline looked at the picture of the strange plant, clearly torn from an old textbook of some sort.  
"Hmm, I do," she said. "Right, green plant, green plant, green plant-"  
She scrutinised the area as they moved deeper into the swamp.

Bubblegum opened her mouth to talk to Marceline when she suddenly felt something strong wrap around her ankles.  
With a tug, the something hauled her quickly to the ground.  
"_Spit_! Bonni!"  
Marceline attempted to grab the princess' arms to pull her back up but out of the blue, the tree behind her transformed into a big, crimson pterodactyl-like demon.  
"Gotcha!" it hissed and wrapped its wings around her.  
"Marceline!" Bubblegum cried out but the something was now entwining around her other ankle, her legs and even her waist.  
Looking down in horror, she saw that the something was the jet-black roots of a tree. The tree in question then opened up at the base and dragged the candy princess underneath.  
"Bonni! _Bonni_! BONNI!" the vampire twisted urgently against the demon, eventually escaping its grasp when she transformed into a large bat.  
But the red demon only chuckled.  
"Alright, now it's a fair fight!" he jeered and the two began to brawl.

Meanwhile, Bubblegum was sliding down a long, wooden chute.  
With a sudden thump, she landed on the dusty floor of what looked like a very large hollowed out tree trunk.  
Bubblegum stood up and brushed herself off, trying to remain calm.  
Marceline would be fine taking on that demon thing, right? Right? She was much more powerful than some stupid swamp dweller, right?  
The princess suddenly spotted a door at the far end of the circular room and ran towards it.  
Wrenching it open, she couldn't believe her eyes.

Meanwhile, the demon threw Marceline to the ground, talons clutched around her neck.  
Converting her batwing into that of a powerful demon arm, Marceline reached down and punched the creature in the stomach.  
"Ouch!" he cried out, rolling off her.  
Then he dragged himself into a crouching position, looked back, glared at her.  
"Vampire, I smell your blood!" he told her in his raspy, dry voice. "But that's not all there is to you, is there?"  
"Half-vampire half-demon, baby!" Marceline yelled at him. "Now what happened to Bonni?"  
The crimson beast let out a cackle.  
"Oh gurl, you're going to have to _earn _that answer!" he spat and launched himself at her again.

Bubblegum stepped through the doorway, both fascinated and extremely confused.  
"Em..."  
In front of her was another hollowed out tree trunk, this one converted to look like a...living room?  
It held a record player in the corner, a woven throw on the ground and a large TV set...which was being watched by a lot of little demons, identical to the one that had grabbed Marceline but much smaller.  
There was six of them altogether and they all turned around when they heard the intruder enter.  
"Hello," said a male one in friendly tones. "Can we help you?"  
"Yeah, uh, hi," Bubblegum started awkwardly. "Listen, I'm sorry to barge in on you like this but the roots of your tree grabbed me and I sort of got dragged down here and-"  
The little demon gasped and looked at the one sitting across the room from him.  
"Duncan!" he scolded. "You forgot to unset the burglar alarm _again_?"  
Duncan hung his head in shame.  
"My bad," he said sadly.  
"Uh, you scatterbrain!" his companion snapped and looked back at Bubblegum. "I am so sorry ma'am! Here, I'll escort you out of here."  
He hopped to his feet and Bubblegum smiled warmly at him.  
"Thanks dude," she said. "And, uh, I'm also having a little trouble back up on the ground."

The crimson demon shoved Marceline against a tree and hissed in her face.  
"Ready to give up yet?"  
Marceline struggled against his grip.  
"No globbing _way_!" she screamed and shoved him off with a mighty push.  
"Oof!" the demon landed on his back and slid across the marshy ground, landing at the feet of Bubblegum, arms crossed, with her new demon friend perched serenely on her shoulder.  
Marceline landed in front of them with a thud and then looked up in surprise.  
"Bonni!" she cried out in mixed relief and shock. "Watch out for this guy, he's-"  
"It's alright Marcy," Bubblegum said coolly, and turned to the demon on her shoulder. "Steve?"  
"Right," Steve nodded to her and then looked down to the demon on the ground. "Ernie, this is _not _how we treat guests."  
"Huh? Ernie?" Marceline chuckled as she transformed back into her normal self. "What kind of demon name is _Ernie_?"  
"Shut up!" Ernie spat at her. "Steve, why you got to ruin my fun man?"  
"Because you're projecting a bad image of demodactyls right now," Steve said calmly. "We're not a violent species of demon. Except for you. Now get up and go inside to clean yourself up. Your show's starting soon anyway."  
Ernie grumbled to himself and then climbed to his feet.  
"Alright, alright," he said, rubbing his arm and slumping off into the trees.  
"Thanks Steve," Bubblegum told the demodactyl on her shoulder.  
"No problem," Steve replied. "Good luck finding that herb Princess!"  
And with that, he flapped his wings, flew off her shoulder and followed Ernie into the trees.

"You OK?" Bubblegum asked Marceline.  
"Yeah, thanks," the vampire rubbed her neck in embarrassment. "I'm sorry I let that happen."  
Bubblegum scoffed.  
"Don't be ridiculous Marcy, that wasn't your fault! How could you have known that was going to happen? Now come on, we've got a herb to find!"  
And the two friends set off again.

As they explored deeper into the Haunted Swamp, more and more strange plants appeared all around them.  
There were grey-coloured vines that slithered along the ground like snakes, giant Venus fly traps that grew to incredible heights above them, and glowing red seeds that floated through the air like cherry-coloured fireflies.  
All the while, they inspected the ground around them for the green plant with the glowing aura.  
"Man, what if it's not here?" Marceline grumbled.  
"It's _got_ to be, we just have to keep loo-"  
"Bonni, watch out!"  
Marceline grabbed Bubblegum's arm and yanked her out of the way of a swooping demon. Unlike the other demodactyls they had encountered, this one was a light olive colour and, with its eight legs and massive wings, resembled a giant flying spider.  
"Hey man, watch where you're going!" Marceline snapped.  
The creature flapped its wings so it could stay in place and speak directly to them.  
"Watch where _you're_ going little girlies or you're going to become my dinner!"  
It lunged at them again and Bubblegum threw herself against Marceline, shoving them both into a clump of bushes and out into a small clearing.  
Bubblegum look to her left and saw...  
"The herb!" she gasped. "Marcy, there it is!"  
Marceline looked up from where she was sprawled next to Bubblegum and saw a small sea green herb, pulsating with a light glow.  
But before she could voice her gladness upon finding it, the spider beast let out a massive roar from behind the bushes.  
"Great, you get it, I'll distract our new friend!" Marceline said, transforming quickly into her wolf form.  
"Marceline, be careful!" Bubblegum cried out to her friend but Marceline had already leapt back out through the clump of bushes.

"Oh man, you would make a good burrito filling!" the spider grinned when it saw Marceline again. "Once I pluck out all the hairs of course!"  
"Dude, I'm not becoming _anybody's_ dinner tonight!" Marceline shouted and threw herself at the arachnid, tackling him to the ground.  
The two wrestled, both throwing punches and kicks, both snapping their jaws viciously at one another.  
Then the spider beast booted out its legs and sent its opponent soaring into a thicket of trees.  
He laughed maniacally.  
"And now to take on your little friend," he said, turning towards the bushes again.  
That was what made Marceline plunge down at him from the trees, and elbow him hard in the head.  
"Aaaargh!" he yelped. "That's it! I should've listened to Mom, playing with your food is _never _a good idea!"  
That's when he stuck out a leg, aimed it between two gnarled trees and spun out a thick web. He shoved Marceline into it and she was instantly stuck.  
In a panic, the woman tried to alter herself into any form that could escape the web, transforming into each one at a time.  
But it was no use.  
"Dinner time," the spider beast scuttled towards her, fangs beared.

"Hey, spider butt!"  
"Huh?" the beast turned around in time to see Bubblegum whack him hard in the face with the herb.  
"No!" he screamed, shutting his eyes against the skin on his face that instantly began to burn. "No! No! Noooo!"  
"Hi-ya!" Bubblegum smacked each of his legs with it and the spider yelled out again, running away into the trees as fast as he could.  
Marceline only stared at the princess in awe.  
Bubblegum looked up at her, panting hard, and then ran to her side, touching the edge web with the herb.  
"Whoa Bonni, nice job!" Marceline said admiringly as the web melted away around her and she landed on her feet. "I guess that herb is pretty globbin' powerful, huh?"  
"Yep, _especially _against insects!" Bubblegum grinned, but then glanced down at the plant in her hands.  
It had turned grey, the last of its green powers ebbing away from it in steady throbs.  
"But this one's muscle is all used up," Bubblegum said, tossing it to the ground. "So, I guess we need to find another one."  
Marceline smirked at her.  
"Not exactly," she said, and produced an even larger herb from the back pocket of her pants.  
Bubblegum gasped and grabbed the plant.  
"Oh my Glob, where did you get this?"  
"It was growing up the side of a tree when spider-kook threw me into that grove over there," Marceline said, jabbing a thumb behind her to indicate the trees. "So I just thought I should grab it while I could, yo."  
"It was growing on a _tree_?" Bubblegum grinned excitedly. "Marcy, the ones that grow on trees are ten times more powerful, long-lasting _and_ rarer than the ones that grow in the ground!"  
She threw her arms around Marceline's neck in a hug.  
"Thank you, you're my hero!" she cried.  
Marceline felt a blush burn across her face.  
"Uh, you're welcome," she said, hugging the princess back. "Now let's bust out of this joint?"  
"You bet!" Bubblegum grinned, and held onto Marceline tightly, ready for lift-off. "Super buds awaaaaaaaaaaay!"  
Marceline took off with a blast of vigour, crashing through the foliage above and up into the night sky.


	6. Pinnacle Of Camaraderie

Their voyage to the Haunted Swamp was the first of Bubblegum and Marceline's adventures together but by no means the last.  
Their success in getting the herb gave them the confidence to go on many quests together – to find things Cotton needed in the lab, to scout out new land, to explore the many rumours and mysteries of the land of Ooo.  
From The Floating Gems in the east to the Sea Of Sure Death in the west, the vampire and the princess conquered it all together.  
They made a good team – Bubblegum as the brains, Marceline as the brawn, both filled with a certain type of bravery that comes from knowing there is no reason to be afraid of what lies ahead when you're standing alongside the person you trust most.  
The candy people grew to deeply admire their courageous young princess, as well as her dependable companion from the Nightosphere.  
Far and wide across Ooo, their friendship was recognised as a sure fact. Marceline Abadeer and Bonnibel Bubblegum. Princess B and the vampire-demon. Marcy and P-Bubs. Everyone knew they were buds.  
Bubblegum even got them both walkie-talkies so that they could stay in contact if they got separated from one another during a venture. But the duo also started using them as a means to constantly keep up with each other – often chatting into the early hours of the morning before one of them yawned and bade the other goodnight.

The summer ended and The Scream Queens disbanded. Bongo and Guy had been asked to tour with a different punk band and Keila had decided to return to the Underworld to pursue other interests.  
Marceline didn't mind so much. She knew a reunion was always on the cards.  
Plus, now she could work on some of her more personal solo stuff...

Autumn melted into winter and Ooo heralded in a new year.  
The winter finished and returned to spring, marking the first anniversary of Bubblegum and Marceline's initial meeting. It was around this time that a certain conversation took place during one of their Sunday night treks through the forest.

"So Dad says we have enough citizens to convert the settlement into a proper kingdom now!" Bubblegum was telling Marceline excitedly.  
"Glob, it took you guys long enough!" Marceline teased and Bubblegum nudged her playfully in the ribs.  
"Shut up dude! Anyway, I'm eager to start the move but," the princess' brow furrowed. "Dad keeps putting it off. I don't know why."  
Marceline shrugged.  
"Your dad's a smart guy, I'm sure he has his reasons."  
"Yeah," Bubblegum agreed as they rambled down a winding path together. "Probably...It's just frustrating. If we can get things up and running _now, _why not now?"  
Marceline produced a small snort of laughter.  
"What is it with you and forgetting you're immortal? There's plenty of time for everything PB! Nothing has to be rushed into happening right now."  
"I know, I know!" Bubblegum smiled and rolled her eyes. "The difference between dreams and plans doesn't matter for us, yadda, yadda."  
Both girls laughed.

Bubblegum looked up at the trees around them, smiling, glad to be in her trusted friend's company.  
But there was a heavy weight in her stomach that kept reminding her of itself with an occasional nauseous flip. She cleared her throat and turned to the vampire floating beside her.  
Better say it now while she had the guts.  
"Oh yeah, something happened yesterday that I meant to mention to you..."  
"Oh yeah?" Marceline said, watching a rabbit scurry under a bush. "What's that?"  
"Eh...I, uh, I got asked out on a date."

Marceline felt her chest tighten and her heart do a kind of queasy jolt.  
But she tried to ignore that, tried to ignore how globbin' _bad_ it felt, and just swallowed.  
"R-really?" she replied, hoping her voice didn't echo with too much of what she felt. "Who with?"  
"Em, a guy named Buttercrunch," Bubblegum's words were laced with reluctance. "He's eighteen years old and has been interning in the lab with us for a while. He asked me out the other morning during a coffee break."  
"Oh so he's a science geek like you!" Marceline smirked at Bubblegum, hoping she could cover up how she felt. How this was clawing at her rib cage.

Bubblegum smirked playfully back, trying hard not to be hurt by the fact that Marceline didn't seem at all envious or even concerned.  
Maybe the vampire just didn't reciprocate the feelings Bubblegum had been harbouring...  
"I guess, if you _insist _on using that term!"  
"So when are you guys going on your first date?"  
"Tuesday night. After we finish up in the lab."  
"Cool! Good luck Bon!"  
"Thanks Marcy."  
To any average being, the conversation would have seemed innocent, carefree and perfectly uncomplicated. Just two friends chattering excitedly about one of them having a date.  
But the unspoken words and hidden feelings inside the two girls burned at them like poison, long after they had left the woods and headed back to their separate homes.

...  
Tuesday evening came with a slight breeze that softly ruffled the trees and bushes across the vast land. The sun set in the sky and Buttercrunch happily prepared for his big date with the princess.

Marceline glumly plucked the strings on her bass, floating languidly above her bed.  
Bubblegum sat at the edge of her own bed, motionless, silent, not her usual lively self at all.

_Well, it makes sense_, Marceline thought desolately. _She likes the science guy, the one who can actually __understand __what she's talking about and not just listen_. _Of course. It makes perfect sense. It just hurts is all...  
_Bubblegum looked down at her hands neatly folded on her lap and sighed. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why had she even bothered holding out hope? Marceline could never want her that way...could she?

Buttercrunch strode towards the Bubblegum residence, chockfull of pep and confidence. Tonight was the night! Time to take Princess B out on a hot date!

Marceline floated aimlessly around the house, thinking of a million little things, like Bubblegum's smile and her laugh and her scent and how she squinted her eyes when thinking hard.  
_Just try to __forget __about Marceline! Focus on Buttercrunch, he's a cool guy, you'll have fun, _Bubblegum tried desperately to tell herself.

Buttercrunch lifted up an arm and inhaled. He shrugged. He smelt fine.

Marceline landed in the corner of her living room and leaned heavily against the wall, letting out a sigh. _Well, _she reminded herself, _no matter what happens, Bonni is still your friend...Your __best __friend.  
_The vampire smiled at the thought.

Bubblegum stood up, straightened out her dress, checked her reflection. She imagined Marceline jokingly wolf-whistling at her semi-formal outfit and smiled. At least she always had the vampire as a friend. A great friend. Her _best_ friend.  
The very notion of it warmed her heart.  
The doorbell rang.

King Cotton stood at his bedroom window, watching his daughter and the young wannabe scientist trek across their front lawn and disappear into the night.  
He couldn't help but chuckle when he noticed how off their body language was...walking at least two feet apart, both with folded arms and unsure postures.  
Unlike Bubblegum's body language around the vampire girl...how they walked side-by-side with a spring in both their steps, clearly feeling completely at ease in each other's presence. The way they talked to one another, sometimes jokingly, often mockingly, but always lovingly, never without care. The way they looked at each other, smiled at each other, laughed with each other.  
Cotton turned away from the window.  
That was all OK. There was time for Bubblegum to figure out what she wanted. Time for her and Marceline to discover what was so blindingly obvious to him...a man who had been deeply in love for many years.  
He stopped, looked in the mirror. Grey streaks had slowly been working their way into his pink hair recently, more lines had appeared on his face, and he was getting thinner. He hoped Bubblegum hadn't noticed how much weight he had lost of late. He turned away from his reflection, trying hard not to notice himself.  
His thoughts went back to his daughter and the vampire, and the long lives stretched out in front of both of them.  
What was it Bubblegum had told him that Marceline had said to her before?  
"_The difference between dreams and plans doesn't matter for us because we've got eternity to figure out the bugs_."  
The king sank into a chair, an admiring smile on his face. Nicely put Marceline!  
He closed his eyes, tiredness sweeping over him. He was tired so _often _in the past few months.  
Cotton rested his head on his hand.  
He sighed, feeling defeated and whitewashed and very, very old.  
Yes, there was definitely plenty of time for Bubblegum and Marceline.  
But for King Cotton?  
No, the same couldn't be said for him.

Marceline was just getting ready for bed when there was a tap against her window.  
She looked up, took a pause and then shrugged, figuring that she had imagined it.  
But then there was another soft tap. And then another.  
"Huh?"  
She floated over, peering out into the darkness, down to the ground below and saw...  
"_Bonni?_"

Bubblegum put her arm back, ready to throw another pebble at Marceline's bedroom window when it suddenly slid open and the vampire stuck her head out, folding her arms casually on the windowsill.  
"Hey Bonnibel, come here often?"  
Bubblegum smirked.  
"Hey Marcy. Sorry to drop by like this...mind if I come in for a while?"  
"Sure. Hold on."  
Marceline couldn't help but feel delighted as she went downstairs to open the front door for Bubblegum. The princess thanked her when she did and walked into the living room.  
"I take it the date didn't go fantastically then?"  
"Nah," Bubblegum said, sitting down on her friend's couch. "He was kind of a butt. He made me pay for dinner _and _the movie. Plus, he just talked about himself all night."  
"Whoa, jerk alert!" Marceline laughed. "So how'd you end up way out here?"  
Bubblegum shrugged.  
"Buttercrunch wanted me to go back to his place after the movie but," she laughed. "There was _no way _man, so I just got him to drop me home. But then I didn't feel up to being grilled by Dad about how it went as soon as I got in the door – so I got one of the house servants to drive me out here. Hope that's cool?"  
"Yeah, of course," Marceline replied simply. "You're welcome here anytime dude. You know that."  
Bubblegum smiled broadly.  
"Thanks Marceline. Mind if I crash on your couch tonight?"  
"Sure, no problem Bonni! I think your pyjamas are still here from last time anyway."  
"Cool, thanks dude. This is why you're my best bud."  
Marceline smiled, feeling a glow where her heart used to be.  
"Thanks Bon, you're mine too."


	7. Pain & Kisses

There are times in all lives (even immortal ones) when we are faced with the inevitability of time.  
The thing that makes us, that develops us, that teaches us and heals us and helps us to grow.  
The existence of time is undeniable – it is a part of every action of our lives, from daily rituals to formal traditions and back again.  
Trees growing fresh leaves that one day grow dark, wither and fall away is a constant reminder of time.  
But oddly enough, even though time is in full force all around us, we are often shocked, hurt and even destroyed by its work.

"No. No, no. No."  
"Bonni-"  
"_No_ Dad!"  
Bubblegum drew in a deep breath, wheezing slightly. Cotton gazed at his daughter, eyes overflowing with sympathy and pure, genuine fatherly love.  
It made it difficult – no, _impossible _– for the princess to look at him so she turned away.  
Maybe a bit too quickly. The lab swayed in front of her eyes and her head suddenly felt fuzzy.  
"I need to sit down," she muttered.  
"Of course."  
Cotton's voice was calm and confident. He gently took Bubblegum's arm and steered her to a nearby chair.  
She sat down awkwardly and put her head in her hands.  
A few long moments passed.

Several days before this happened, Cotton had cried himself in the very same lab.  
It was August now – nearing the end of another summer, and he had found the results of his study to be not only unsatisfactory but completely and utterly dismal.  
And after spending several hours in the lab alone, first screaming in anger and agony (even smashing several beakers and test tubes), then sobbing hysterically on the floor, he calmed down.  
And readied himself to tell his daughter.

"Listen to me Bonnibel, I-"  
"No! _You_ listen to _me_!" Bubblegum looked up again and, to Cotton's heartache, she was crying. "_How_ could you not tell me about this? You've known for months and you only tell me now? We could have worked together on a cure Dad, we could have-"  
"I didn't want to worry you Bonni," Cotton cut across her in a kind voice. "_Or_ give you false hope of finding a successful remedy. So I conducted my own research, carried out my own experiments and – well – I'm dying, plain and simple. And I-"  
"No!" Bubblegum stood up, went to walk across the lab, came back again. "No! There has to be a way, a course of treatment, a type of enzyme or chemical or herb or – or - or _something._ There has to be, there _has _to be!"  
Bubblegum was sobbing now and Cotton had taken a very gentle hold of her shoulders.  
"No my darling, there isn't," he said benevolently. "There isn't. And that's OK. It's my time."  
Bubblegum only looked at him for a moment, then buried her face in his lab coat and wept. Cotton held her securely, resting his chin on her head and soothingly rubbing her back like he did whenever she got upset as a little girl.  
"Shh Bonni, it'll be alright, don't worry. Shh now, it's all going to be fine."  
She pulled away from him, sniffing hard.  
"How much longer Dad? H-how much longer do you have?"  
Cotton gave her a small, sad smile.  
"These past few weeks, I've been keeping myself alive with daily injections. But my sources for them runs out tomorrow. And once I stop taking them, I'll be gone within a week."  
Bubblegum closed her eyes against the fresh onslaught of tears.

Bubblegum didn't leave the house at all for the next nine days.  
She sent all the servants on leave (with pay), determined to look after her father herself. And she did it well – bringing him his meals in bed, keeping him company, fetching him whatever he needed to be comfortable and (in the final few days when his body became weak), helping him to the bathroom and giving him painkillers.  
He died on the evening of the ninth day, Bubblegum holding his hand and stroking his hair.  
She was glad she could be with him in his last moments – glad she could give him some comfort as his life reached its conclusion.

The funeral was large and ceremonial – attended by all the candy people, as well as many other rulers, monarchs and leaders from around Ooo who had deeply admired King Cotton Bubblegum.  
A certain vampire was also present. And, after the main ceremony, managed to battle her way through a sea of sympathisers to see deceased's daughter. Her best friend.  
A part of her even wondered if Bubblegum would _want _to see her during this difficult time. If she wanted to mourn privately or just with her Candy Kingdom friends or simply be left alone. She decided that she'd be cool with whatever the princess wanted.  
After all, it wasn't every day you lost someone you loved.  
And yet, it seemed to happen far too often for Marceline's liking...

She needn't have worried.  
As soon as she reached the top of the crowd and Bubblegum spotted her, the princess threw her arms around her friend's neck and hugged her tight.  
"Oh thank glob! Thank you for coming Marcy!"  
"Bonni...of _course_."  
They broke apart, Bubblegum smiling at her through tears.  
"S-spend the night at mine tonight?"  
Marceline gave a small smile and a resolute nod.  
"If that's what you want, I'll be there!"  
Bubblegum only had time for another smile before she was ushered away by Candy Kingdom officials.

Marceline floated down the lavish hallway of the Bubblegum house, finding it strange that Cotton wasn't pottering around downstairs in the lab or reading in his bedroom.  
Whenever she was in the house, she was used to him fumbling around with junk in the lab or letting out the occasional cough or sneeze. She was used to his friendly wave, smile and "hello Marceline! Good to see you again!"  
The vampire could barely believe how much she was going to miss those things.

She glided into Bubblegum's bedroom where the princess was sitting on the bed, head bowed despondently. It made Marceline miserable just looking at her.  
"You want anything from downstairs before we go to sleep?" the vampire asked.  
Bubblegum looked up and offered Marceline a small, grateful smile.  
"Nein, danke," she replied.  
Marceline smiled, always liking the way Bubblegum's voice sounded when she spoke German.  
"Mein Deutsch ist nicht so gut Princess. Konnen sie bitte English sprechen?" Marceline stumbled over her words, trying hard to remember the bits of German an old vampire friend had taught her about forty years ago.  
Bubblegum grinned to herself, touched by Marceline's effort to try.  
"Ja," she sighed. "English it is!"  
"Cool," Marceline paused. "How did you start learning German anyway?"  
"My mother was from Berlin originally," Bubblegum told her, her eyes lighting up at the chance to talk about her mother. "She raised me to speak it fluently. My father could speak some as well but-" she let out a little chuckle, "his grammar was horrific."  
Marceline laughed.  
"Oh yeah? Languages weren't his strong suit?"  
Bubblegum stared into space, her smile evaporating.  
"You know, I never asked him," she said slowly. "I never thought to ask him if he took to any other languages like he never took to German."  
She glanced over at Marceline.  
"Guess I should have, huh?"

A short silence followed her words.  
"I never asked my mother about her opinion on vampires," Marceline said suddenly and Bubblegum stared at her, interested.  
The tall, raven-haired girl shoved her hands into her pockets and shrugged.  
"I have no idea if she liked 'em or not," she paused. "I have no idea if she'd like me now."  
Bubblegum blinked in shock.  
"She would have _loved _you!" she cried in a hushed voice.  
Marceline looked over at the princess and smiled in gratitude.  
"Thanks dude, I like to think so anyway!"

"Marceline?"  
"Yeah Bonni?"  
"Do you think you ever _really _get over losing a parent?"  
Marceline floated over to the bed and sat cross-legged next to Bubblegum.  
"No," she said truthfully. "But the pain gives way after a while. When I think about my mom now, it doesn't _sting_ so much, y'know? Time helps."  
Bubblegum nodded.  
"Thinking about _my_ mom hurts a lot less now too," she agreed, but then winced. "I was always a lot closer to my dad though."  
"Time helps," the vampire repeated. "And we've got _lots_ of that, remember?"  
She winked at Bubblegum and the princess leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.  
"You're sweet," she said.  
"_Everything's _sweet around here, you people are literally made of sugar!"  
Bubblegum giggled and Marceline smiled.  
"Made you laugh," she grinned, and a few seconds went by. "I always like it when you laugh."

In response to this comment, Bubblegum pecked Marceline on the cheek again, letting this kiss last a little longer.  
In return, Marceline put an arm around her friend's shoulders and pulled her close, kissing her cheek, brow and forehead gently as she did so.  
Bubblegum then kissed the vampire's temple, Marceline kissed the soft skin under the princess' ear and Bubblegum ran a line of kisses along the taller girl's jaw.  
Marceline relished the feeling and responded by touching her lips to the princess' cheek, chin and then neck.  
But she avoided her mouth. As much as she wanted to press their lips together, as much as she wanted to taste the princess, she fought the temptation.  
Doing so would be taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable state.

And as much as Bubblegum wanted to feel that sweet, gentle mouth on her own, as much as she _desired_ those lips, she was perfectly happy when Marceline steered clear of that area.  
After all, if they were ever going to kiss properly, she wanted it to be about them.  
Not about condolences and commiseration.  
After a while more of running tender kisses up and down each other's faces with love, Marceline lay back on the bed and gently pulled the princess down with her.  
Bubblegum rested her head on the taller girl's chest and closed her eyes, breathing in the vampire's scent.

In reality, they both only planned to stay in that position for a short while...some affection before bed.  
But then they both fell asleep, curled up together in each other's embrace. 


	8. The First Sever

Marceline slept in Bubblegum's house for the next two months.  
It would be a lie to say that the princess was in any way dependent on her – at least physically – because she was perfectly capable of cooking, cleaning and keeping the house in order herself.  
However, _emotionally_, Bubblegum relied on Marceline quite a bit. Every time the reality of losing Cotton hit her again in a fresh wave, the vampire was there to distract her with jokes and idle chat, watch movies and play video games with her to pass the time, or just give her a hug.  
The two girls remained affectionate towards each other for those two months, but they were both careful to never step over any lines of friendship.  
After all, it was an emotionally complex time and neither completely knew what the other wanted.

It was a sunny but cold morning at the end of the two months that Bubblegum marched decisively into the living room and made her unbendable announcement to her best friend.  
"It's happening."  
"What's happening?" Marceline asked, barely looking up from playing a riff on her bass.  
In response, Bubblegum took a rolled-up piece of old paper out of her back pocket and handed it to the vampire.  
Marceline took the parchment and unfurled it. It was a map of the land of Ooo, with a large X slightly north from the middle of the diagram.  
"We're relocating the settlement," Bubblegum told her. "We're too overcrowded here and we don't even have a proper high school. Plus, everyone recognises candy people as valid Ooo citizens now and not just mutated freaks. As a society, we've evolved and we need our own kingdom."  
Marceline didn't reply, she just frowned down at the map.  
"What's wrong?" Bubblegum asked.  
The vampire shook her head, then held up the map to Bubblegum.  
"Dude, where that X is at is just marshy swamp land," she informed her friend. "You can't put _anything_ there, it'd sink right into the mud!"  
Bubblegum was shaking her own head now.  
"No dude, I took some soil samples from the area and realized that the bog there is shallow. All we have to do is dig the whole thing up and replace it with other types of clay, sand and gravel. Then the new ground will be a strong foundation for _any_ type of building. Plus, then we can use what we dig up as turf!"  
"Whoa, impressive!" Marceline cried with an admiring grin. "That's a big job though Bonni. It'll take a long time to hollow out that land!"  
"The difference between dreams and plans Marcy," Bubblegum said simply, taking the map back off her. "That's all it is. So," she paused, "will you help me?"  
Marceline let out an indignant laugh.  
"As if you even have to _ask _dude," she answered with a shrug. "Homedawgs are always there for their homedawgs, yo!"  
"Thanks Marceline," Bubblegum said, moved by her friend's willingness to help her out. "I'll be counting on you."

The project was announced to the rest of the Candy Kingdom the next Monday morning, to much excitement and approval.  
A crack team of engineers, planners, builders and architects were gathered from far and wide across Ooo, Bubblegum insisting that her new territory would be constructed only by the hands of the very best she could find.  
Planning began and the first shovel hit the dirt of the marshland the first day of January.

Marceline and Bubblegum worked side by side on the project at first, the vampire giving her opinion when needed, flying in people from other parts of the land who were needed, helping with the heavy lifting and so on.  
They also started going on expeditions together again, to find rare materials for building, to locate some of Ooo's finest draughtsmen, to gather much-needed resources and supplies, or even just to obtain more treasure and gold to pay the workers and fund the project.  
The first year passed in a steady thrum of teamwork, camaraderie and bro-fists.

Slowly but surely however, the vampire saw less and less of the princess as she got more and more heavily involved with the venture.  
Suddenly, Marceline's viewpoint didn't matter so much when there was an ambassador from Lumpy Space who was far more knowledgeable on matter, or a diplomat from the Fire Kingdom with way more expertise. Often the two friends would make plans to hang out and Bubblegum would get a call from someone experiencing a problem back on site and have to leave.  
In the beginning, Marceline tried hard to be understanding. But soon Bubblegum was cancelling plans so breezily that she couldn't help but feel a little, well, _discarded_.  
And then, near the end of the second year of construction, Marceline heard the news. And she didn't even hear it from Bubblegum, which made it about a thousand times worse.

"Hey Marceline."  
The vampire looked up from strumming her bass under the shade of a large oak tree.  
"Oh, hey Liquorice Whip! What's shakin' man?"  
Liquorice Whip was one of Marceline's favourite candy people (apart from Bubblegum of course). Tall and lanky with a wicked mohawk and killer punk style, LW was a cool guy and a phenomenal guitarist. Two things Marceline valued very much.  
"Nothing really," the candy citizen replied as he sat down under the tree alongside the vampire girl. "What are you doing way out here all on your lonesome dude?"  
Marceline looked away, frowned, cleared her throat, tried to inject an extra large dose of "I-don't-care" into her voice.  
"Bonni and I were supposed to hang out for an hour for lunch but," she shrugged. "There was some issue with the contractors for the post office. So she had to go deal."  
"Aw, unlucky," LW remarked. "She probably was coming to tell you her big news!"  
The vampire looked up with a knowing smile.  
"What big news? Did that plumber guy finally agree to give her a discount on his usual fee?"  
LW laughed, but shook his head.  
"No man! Mr Creampuff, the head foreman's son, asked her out and she said yes!"

Years later, Marceline would remember that moment as feeling like her stomach, liver and intestines had been scooped out onto the cold December ground in front of her. The carefree smile on LW's face, obviously thinking he was sharing _good _news, just added to the feeling of being disembowelled. Because the fact that she couldn't relate to his happiness made her a bad friend...the fact that she _couldn't _be happy for Bubblegum.  
"Oh," her mouth formed the word while her mind was a million miles away. "That's great!"  
"I know, right?" LW grinned animatedly. "Creampuff is such an awesome guy! He's really smart and funny and nice, do you know him?"  
Marceline shook her head, no.  
"Well that'll change dude, especially since he's your best friend's new boyf! You'll like him a lot, he's cool."  
The vampire nodded.  
"Yeah, cool."  
Just then, a shrill beeping noise filled the air, prompting Liquorice Whip to unhook a small pager from his belt.  
"Whoops! Uncle Glabra needs me back at the workshop. Those windows for the Royal Candy Kingdom Bank aren't going to make themselves I guess!"  
He stood up, yawned and stretched.  
"It was cool seeing you Marceline, catch you around!"  
"Yeah. See ya LW..."

Marceline sat under the tree for a long time, cool winter breeze blowing at her hair.  
Jealousy burned inside her like a poison.  
_She didn't even tell me. She didn't even MENTION this globbing guy. I guess we really are drifting apart..._  
She looked up towards where the new kingdom was being built, stood up, threw her rucksack over her shoulder, and headed out there.

By the time Marceline made it to the vast building site, the sun was setting.  
She floated around, looking for Bubblegum, and giving a few waves and smiles to the candy people who recognised and greeted her.  
All around her were the houses that had been first priority to build for the candy people. Soon, there would be a grocery store, bank, post office, library, school and other essential things added on. And then a tall wall built all the way around the kingdom.  
Although the sky was growing dark, many candy people were still working by lamplight. As she moved past them further in to the settlement, she saw less and less fully finished buildings and more skeletal foundations.  
She didn't know exactly _why _she was searching for PB or how it would make her feel less terrible but she just thought if she could talk to the princess herself, she might -  
She halted and doubled back quickly behind a makeshift cabin, stifling a gasp.  
Bubblegum was standing about five metres away, holding hands with...  
_That must be Creampuff.  
_They were both laughing. It made Marceline feel like she was getting punched in the stomach.

"Well I'm glad I got to see you this evening, even if it was only for a fifteen-minute coffee break," Creampuff was saying to her kindly.  
"Me too CP, sorry I've been so busy lately!"  
"Hey, no worries, I've been busy right along with you!"  
The two laughed.  
"Anyway," Bubblegum said. "I have plans to draw up for the hospital and I have to be up early in the morning so I don't want to but I really should-"  
Her voice was not without reluctance but Creampuff shushed her gently.  
"Say no more Princess, I'll bid you sweet dreams for now and I'll see you again soon!"  
"With any luck," Bubblegum sighed and they kissed.  
A simple peck on the lips but a kiss all the same.  
And it made Marceline turn around and float back out of the site, axe bass dragging on the ground along with her heart.

By the time she got back home to her current abode by the Forest Of Trees, her sadness had turned to anger, her need to cry transformed into a need to smash, her feelings of heartbreak becoming feelings of rage and indignation.  
First thing she did was slam the door, rip open the rucksack and throw the sandwiches she had made for Bubblegum on the floor. Then she kicked them into the corner with an angry grunt, booting her own armchair in the process.  
So she picked it up and flung it at across the living room. Then she flipped over the coffee table, punched the wall, shoved over the bookcase and tore the wallpaper.  
By the time she had moved on to the next room and was pummelling the sink and toilet, she's barely realized she had changed into her demon form. But she took it in her stride, transforming twice more before she had finished lashing out at the whole house.

It left her sitting in the middle of her thrashed bedroom, back to her normal form and feeling like a child who'd just thrown a tantrum.  
She also felt how she'd most often felt as a kid – alone.  
_Why didn't she tell me? Do I really scan so little on her radar now?  
_Marceline stood up, sniffling slightly, anger returning to her.  
_Fine. Fine! I don't stay where I'm not wanted, I'm out of here!  
_Marceline rushed around the room, busying herself with packing two large duffel bags. Once finished, she slung them both over her shoulder and made a beeline for the front door.  
Then she stopped when an electric crackle filled the air.  
"Marcy? Marcy, are you there? Come in, it's Bonni."  
The vampire turned around and saw the walkie-talkie lying in the corner of the living room, a broken lamp leaning against it. Apparently, it had survived the livid destruction.  
Marceline floated over to it slowly, but made no effort to pick it up.  
"Dude, are you there? Pick up. Listen Marceline, I'm really sorry I missed our lunch date, I'm just _so _globbin' busy right now! But I have lots to tell you so catch-up soon? No?"  
Marceline's unbeating heart softened as she approached the walkie-talkie, extended a hand.  
"Oh!" Bubblegum's voice grew excited "I haven't even told you yet, I've started seeing this guy, Mr Creampuff, and he's _so_-"  
"Aaargh!"  
Marceline stomped heavily on the walkie-talkie, completely demolishing the device.  
Then she turned around and headed back towards the front door.  
_She just wants someone to brag to about her stupid new boyfriend! Whatever. She can make time for "fifteen-minute coffee breaks" for him but not five seconds for me? Fine. OK. Let her spend ALL her time with him, I'm gone.  
_And Marceline wrenched open the door, immediately taking off into the sky and en route for the Underworld.  
As she soared through the air, she very deliberately didn't look in the direction of the new Candy Kingdom site.

"-and he's _so _looking forward to meeting you! So maybe the three of us could hang out sometime? I mean, _after _you and just have quality friend time just the two of us. Is that cool? Marceline? ... Marcy?"  
Bubblegum sighed and put the walkie-talkie down on her bedside table. Maybe Marceline really wasn't home.  
She settled down in the sheets and closed her eyes, trying hard not to feel sad.  
After all, why _should _she be sad? Assembly of the new Candy Kingdom was going absolutely fantastically, other Ooo royals were voicing their support for the project, _and _she now had a new boyfriend!  
Well, that last one was a bit complicated...  
Mr Creampuff was a cool guy; very well-read, very humorous, very sweet and thoughtful. Only thing is...He had asked her on a date so out of the blue that Bubblegum had said yes pretty much out of shock.  
And when she decided to attend Lemon Sherbert's barbecue that same night (celebrating the finished construction of the pharmacy), she hadn't realized that Creampuff would consider _that _their first date. So they had kissed and three days later, he had asked her to be his girlfriend.  
So she said yes because...why not? Her and Marceline were just friends, right? And she hadn't dated in so long.  
She turned over in bed, thinking how nice it would be to discuss her new relationship with Marceline and get her friend's perspective on things...  
Bubblegum drifted to sleep, looking forward to the next time she'd get to talk to her boyfriend. And looking forward even more to the next time she'd get to talk to her best friend.


	9. Revelation

Bubblegum looked up into the starry December sky, trying hard to fight back the ambush of tears welling up behind her eyes.  
_How many more friends are going to leave me?  
_It had been nearly four months since Shoko's death and, even though she hadn't known her that long at all, the princess had felt incredibly hurt when Shoko had stolen from her.  
Especially since the person who owned the matching amulet to that one was...

Bubblegum turned away from the sky, left her balcony and quietly began getting ready for sleep in the quiet of her bedroom.  
It was almost exactly a year since Marceline had left Ooo and, as much as the princess didn't want to admit it, she missed the vampire so much it felt like an actual ache inside of her.

At first, she had thought Marceline was simply angry at her for missing her lunch date and had thought it wise to give her space.  
But after a week passed with no contact, Bubblegum went to scope out her house and had panicked when she'd found it in its battered condition.  
Thinking that Marceline was in some sort of trouble, Bubblegum organised a search party, sent missing posters all across Ooo and made sure to let every royal contact she had know that somebody was missing.  
She searched the land far and wide, making sure to trek out to the forest where they first met every Sunday night, just in case.  
But to no avail.

But then, halfway through January, Keila came to the Candy Kingdom and asked Bubblegum why she had declared Marceline an official "Ooo missing person."  
"Because no one knows where she is!" Bubblegum had cried hysterically. "Something bad has happened to her Keila and we need to-"  
"Whoa dude, chill. Marceline's fine. She just moved back to the Underworld is all."  
Bubblegum had felt a variety of emotions burst into bloom in her chest at those words.  
Confusion. Anger. Bewilderment. Irritation. And most of all...hurt.  
Why had Marceline moved away without telling the princess, her supposed best friend?  
After Keila left (once the princess was assured that Marceline was safe and happy in the Underworld) Bubblegum had sat by herself in her room for a long time, feeling more abandoned and lost than she ever thought possible.

Not that she'd ever confess that to anyone these days. To anybody who asked, Bubblegum just insisted that the two had drifted apart and Marceline had left Ooo to pursue other interests.  
That was all. No more, no less.  
She sighed as she slipped into bed and drifted into an uncomfortable sleep, haunted by visions of armless humanoid girls and tall vampires with their backs turned from her.

_Meanwhile..._

Music thrummed heavily in the basement of the rock bar, a death metal band shredding guitars, beating drums and yelling lyrics onstage.  
Marceline stood near the back, nodding her head in time to the beat and enjoying the atmosphere of her favourite spot in the Underworld.  
Suddenly, she felt a tug at her arm.  
The vampire turned around and grinned.  
"Keila! I thought you said you couldn't make it tonight dude!"  
The two girls hugged and Keila smiled.  
"Turns out my cousin didn't need a babysitter after all so it's all good!"  
"Awesome, do you want to-?"  
"_What_?" Keila strained to hear her friend over the sound of the loud music.  
Marceline just laughed, gently took her shoulders and steered her to the outside bar.  
"I asked if you wanted a drink," she smirked when they got outside.  
"Oh yeah, sure! Why not?"  
The two vampires purchased their drinks and sat at a bench down the back of the courtyard.

"Did you see Ash is here tonight?" Keila rolled her eyes. "The jerk tried to hit on me outside."  
"Figs," Marceline muttered. "He was never good at knowing what types of situations might be awkward. Such as, but not limited to, flirting with your ex's best bud."  
Keila felt a curious smile curve around her lips.  
"What?" Marceline asked, catching sight of it.  
"I'm your best bud?"  
Marceline laughed good-naturedly.  
"Well of course you are dude! Who else would it be?"  
Keila opened her mouth, then shut it. Then she changed her mind and decided to chance it.  
"Well," she tried to keep her voice casual. "Princess Bubblegum?"  
Marceline looked up sharply and gave Keila the kind of look that would make so many people afraid of the legendary Vampire Queen many years later. Keila very nearly felt herself flinch under that stony glare but managed to stand her ground under the death stare.  
Then Marceline finally spoke.  
"That's ancient history," she grunted, turning away. "Let's not talk about the past."

Keila waited for a beat, then spoke again.  
"Dude," she said gently. "If you just went back and _talked_ to-"  
"You don't know what you're talking about Keila," Marceline said shortly. "You have no idea what happened between me and that girl."  
Keila couldn't help but laugh at that.  
"Man, _she _has no idea! She feels like you just up and left her, and-"  
"Hey! She's the one who left _me _on my own!"  
"But maybe she didn't mean to Marceline, maybe she-"  
"Oh, just shut up!" Marceline snapped, in a manner so fierce her face transformed partially into her demon form.

Keila gave her a look and then turned away, sipping on her drink.  
Marceline let out a low, stressed growl and rubbed the bridge of her nose.  
"I'm sorry Keila," she said after a brief tense silence. "I know you're only trying to help. But...I barely know what went wrong back then. And – well – if I went back _now_," she sighed, "Bonnibel wouldn't even want me back."  
The other vampire listened to Marceline's words but then shook her head unwaveringly.  
"No dude," she said. "You're wrong. You don't ever lose faith in a friendship that strong. And if you're _that _close to someone, if you're _that _invested in the relationship, somebody's bound to get hurt or let down eventually. Things get spoilt, things go kaput but..._real_ friends work through it."  
Marceline frowned in concentration, taking in Keila's words.  
"Maybe," she mumbled, then she looked up. "Thanks Keila."  
The other girl winked at her.  
"Don't mention it Marceline," she said. "I'll always be here for you. I'm your second best friend after all!"  
The vampire could only smile.


	10. Words Of A Wise Man

Marceline stood at the gates of the Underworld, looking far ahead of her at the entrance back to the regular world. Lying at her feet were the same two duffel bags she had packed in rage just over a year ago.  
She gulped, suddenly feeling very nervous.  
All week, whilst packing her things and tying up loose ends in the Underworld, she'd felt totally resolute in her decision to go back to Ooo.  
But now, here at the edge of it all, she felt...alone.  
What if there was no one waiting to greet her back? What if no one cared she was gone? What if Bubblegum hated her now? It all seemed very likely.  
"This is stupid," Marceline muttered out loud.  
"Is it?" a voice asked behind her. "Or are you just afraid?"

Marceline turned around, frowning at this rude eavesdropper, until she saw who it was and her expression softened.  
"Oh. Hi Gabriel."  
A tall, leanly muscled vampire stood before her, wearing a long black trenchcoat and the warm, friendly smile she knew so well.  
His hair was jet-black and grown to just past his shoulders, his face clean-shaven and his eyes a deep cerulean blue. He was a familiar sight around these parts.  
And, unlike Ash, he was one of her exes who was a happy sight.  
"Hello Marceline," he said. "Debating whether you should stay or go?"  
Marceline let out a long sigh.  
"It's complicated," she mumbled, then she looked back at him in confusion. "Hey, how did you know I was-?"  
The old vampire laughed.  
"Keila told me you were planning to leave around this time and," he winked at her. "She was fearful you'd chicken out."  
"What?" Marceline spat. "That weenie, I can't believe-"  
"She knows you so well?"  
The vampire girl glared at him but Gabriel just shook his head.  
"Come on Marceline," he said in a caring, serene tone. "It's me, Gabriel. Talk to me."

That was when Marceline lowered her defences, grunting slightly as if lowering them physically.  
She looked down at the ground, chewed her lip.  
Gabriel waited patiently.  
"I'm scared," she finally admitted.  
"OK," Gabriel said. "Of what?"  
Marceline looked up at him, searching his eyes for trust, found it easily, and went on.  
"Rejection," she said. "What if she doesn't care about me anymore?"  
"She will," Gabriel said simply. "We don't forget the ones we once cared about so easily Marceline. You know that by now."  
"Yeah, yeah, of course we don't _forget_," Marceline agreed. "But it never goes back to the way it was before."  
"That's because sometimes things need to change to get better," Gabriel replied. "And maybe this whole episode will lead to something better for you and Ms Bubblegum."  
Marceline shrugged.  
"If she forgives me," she said hesitantly.  
Gabriel merely smiled assuredly.  
"Would you forgive _her_ if she had been the one to run from you?"  
The question caught the younger vampire by surprise and she blinked uncertainly.  
"Em," she thought about it for a moment.  
_Would_ she forgive Bubblegum for abandoning her like this? Would she still want her as a friend if she came crawling back to her? Could she ever forgive the princess for something like this?  
Marceline found her head nodding before she had even properly made up her mind.  
Then she gazed decisively at Gabriel.  
"Yes," she said confidently.  
"Exactly," Gabriel nodded, as if there had only ever been one right answer. "Sure, she might be a little angry with you at first but time will help with that."  
_The difference between dreams and plans doesn't matter.  
_Marceline suddenly heard the phrase ring through her head and heard it in Bubblegum's voice.  
She smiled slightly to herself, then looked back at her old confidante.  
"Thanks Gabriel."  
"For you Marceline? Anytime."

Marceline scooped up the duffel bags, floated over to Gabriel and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.  
"Better go now before I lose my nerve again," she sighed. "See you around man. Thanks again for the help."  
"Don't mention it old friend, just go."  
Marceline smiled, turned from Gabriel and glided determinedly out the gates. Then she stopped, her feet landing on the ground again.  
"What's wrong?" Gabriel questioned gently.  
Marceline looked over her shoulder at him.  
"I've been a real butt Gabriel," she said. "I mean, a real, _stinky_ butt!"  
Gabriel let out a small chuckle before responding.  
"We're all real, stinky butts sometimes," he told her. "We all make mistakes. Time will help."  
Marceline nodded and turned back again, looking up at the entrance.  
"Go," Gabriel urged. "I promise that she's been waiting for you."  
Marceline didn't say anything, she just kicked her feet off the ground and soared to the Underworld exit.  
Gabriel smiled, watching her go.  
He himself had once enjoyed the privilege of having Marceline be in love with him and now, over eighty years later, he recognised the very same shine in her eyes.  
The vampire girl loved this princess in more than a platonic way and if there was one thing Gabriel had learned in his 2,000 years, it was that real love _always_ forgives.


	11. Homecoming

Marceline's feet landed firmly on the ground of the Candy Castle balcony.  
She stared at the heavy oak doors in front of her, trying hard to pluck up the courage to knock.  
_These doors weren't even here the last time, _she found herself musing. _This whole TOWER wasn't here.  
_She was quite impressed with the overall development of the Candy Kingdom, it had enlarged and extended incredibly in the space of one year.  
She deliberately tore herself from thoughts of the kingdom and focused her attention on its princess.  
Marceline trusted herself to be valiant and knock on the door.  
But nothing happened.

She growled in irritation, sighed and turned away, soaring up into the sky above.  
One day soon, she might be brave enough.  
But not tonight.

As the vampire glided higher in the sky and out of sight, Bubblegum opened the doors, peering outside at the balcony.  
She blinked sleepily then, whilst stifling a yawn, closed the doors securely and went back inside.  
She must have been dreaming.

Marceline was lost in thought, completely unaware of her surroundings, when she felt a strong force wrap around her middle.  
Gasping, she looked back in shock and saw that she was in the clutches of...a giant _gumball machine_?  
"What the-? Hey, let me go!"  
"No," the monstrosity replied in a robotic tone. "You are a danger to the kingdom."  
"What are you talking about? I – urgh!"  
Marceline was suddenly being squeezed forcefully by the creature's hand.  
Struggling slightly, she willed her body to change and then altered into her demon form, breaking free from the gumball's tight grip.  
"OK buddy, you want a fight?" she growled. "Let's dance!"

That was when a dazzlingly bright light hit her full on in the face, blinding her instantly.  
"Halt! Stop right there intruder, I - _Marceline_?"  
Bubblegum's voice was distorted and warped. For a second, Marceline wondered if this was all some wild dream.  
Hissing against the bright light, Marceline squinted down to the ground where two banana guards stood by...

Bubblegum.  
Dressed only in her nightgown and a jacket she had obviously just pulled on over it, Bubblegum hardly looked regal or ceremonial or sophisticated.  
But she looked absolutely beautiful to Marceline. Just as stunning as the last time they'd seen one another.

"Gumball Guardian, thank you for catching the intruder," Bubblegum was saying to the large mechanical creature. "You can go back to patrolling the kingdom now."  
The gumball machine gave Marceline one more long look (she stuck her tongue out at it) before saying "as you wish" to the princess and stamping away.  
Now Bubblegum looked up at Marceline and Marceline look down at her, neither of them sure of what to say or do.

"Uh...Princess? Shall we take the trespasser to the dungeon?" one of the banana guards asked but Bubblegum was shaking her head.  
"Nein, I'll deal with things from here," Bubblegum said, not taking her eyes off of the vampire floating about twenty feet above her. "You're both excused. Thank you for your help."  
The banana guards left the scene and Marceline floated down, diminishing the distance between her and Bubblegum until they were face-to-face.  
"Hi," she said stupidly.  
"Hi," Bubblegum echoed. "Were you the one outside my window?"  
Marceline nodded silently.

Bubblegum looked down at her feet, then looked back up at Marceline, narrowed her eyes.  
"You never even _called_ me."  
Marceline opened her mouth, then closed it again. She hung her head in shame.  
"You didn't even leave a message," Bubblegum went on. "A note, a letter, a freaking _memo_! Nothing. You just left."  
Marceline nodded wordlessly.  
"I looked for you," Bubblegum continued, her voice gathering anger. "I was so _worried_ Marceline, I searched this entire land, urgently trying to find you! And then when Keila said you had just left voluntarily, I felt like...like...well, like I didn't matter to you at all."  
Marceline looked up at that.  
"You _did _matter!" the vampire insisted. "You mattered to me so much that I couldn't even _try _to contact you. Because I was convinced that you didn't care about me anymore and – well – if that was the case, it would have been too painful to stick around and just watch our friendship disintegrate so I-"  
But Marceline was cut off by Bubblegum throwing her arms around her neck and hugging her.

"Geistesschwache," she scolded, holding on tight. "As if I'd ever let our friendship fade away! I know I could have done more to make time for you but-"  
"I shouldn't have run," Marceline said, holding her close. "I'm sorry Bonnibel."  
There was a long pause where the girls just squeezed each other, desperately wanting to feel close to the other one.  
"I missed you," Marceline said after a while.  
Bubblegum smiled into her shoulder.  
"I missed you too," she said. "I'm so glad you're back."  
Marceline blinked back her tears, silently thanking Gabriel for always being right.

It didn't take long for the vampire and the princess to pick up where they left off.  
Bubblegum asked Marceline to join her on an expedition to the Isle of Trash the very next week and their series of epic adventures together begun again.  
Marceline proved herself to be a great asset to the Candy Kingdom; reinforcing the outer walls of the large territory, forging weapons with the blacksmith, teaching battle tactics to the banana guards.  
Weeks went by. They turned into months. Which turned into years.  
About a year and a half after Marceline returned, Bubblegum and Creampuff ended things on good terms, deciding to remain friends.

That's when the next section of the girls' story together truly began.


	12. In Secret Languages

"You sure you're OK with it though?" Marceline asked Bubblegum.  
Bubblegum looked up into the sky above them as they made their way down another winding forest path.  
Their Sunday night walks together had yet again become a firm weekly tradition for the two women.  
"Positive," she answered, looking up at the stars above. "Creampuff and I are probably better off as friends, we just want different things."  
Marceline nodded.  
"Yeah, that's fair enough," she said. "And at least you're still friends."  
"Exactly," Bubblegum concurred. "He's a really sweet guy."

Marceline smiled politely and agreed with a light-hearted "yeah."  
She was currently training the jealousy out of herself, knowing that if she wanted to keep her best friend in her life this time, she'd have to be better.  
Being friends was far from a punishment after all ... it was actually a pretty fantastic consolation prize.

"Plus, I'm so busy right now," Bubblegum went on. "I barely have time for anything other than building up the kingdom, working in the lab and working on new laws and decrees. Oh."  
She looked over at the vampire, teeth gritted in apprehension.  
"I might not be able to make it to our movie night tomorrow," she told Marceline nervously. "I have to go through that paperwork for making the Candy Kingdom an official recognised territory in the land of Ooo."  
"Hey, don't look so anxious Bonnibel!" Marceline laughed. "I know how important the kingdom is to you and it _should _be first priority right now. I'll find some other way to entertain myself."  
Bubblegum smiled.  
"Thanks Marceline."  
"Don't worry about it PB, I promise I won't run away for a year again," the vampire joked and they both laughed.  
The princess smiled to herself. If they could mess around about it now, it meant that the incident was well and truly in the past.  
_Lost somewhere between dreams and plans_, Bubblegum found herself thinking.

They turned a corner and wandered down another forest trail.  
"Speaking of running away for a year," Bubblegum piped up after a moment's silence. "I think these walks were what I missed the most when you were gone."  
"Me too," Marceline turned her head to look at some trees so the candy girl wouldn't see her touched smile and slight blush. "Sunday nights were definitely lacking a bit down in the Underworld."  
Now it was Bubblegum's turn to blush and be moved.  
"What did you spend most of your time doing down there?"

Marceline heaved a sigh, thought about it.  
"I dated this guy for a month or two when I first got down there," she reported. "And he liked going to the movies on Sunday nights. Then after we broke up, I was seeing this girl for a while and Sunday was her days to clean her apartment so," she shrugged, "I spent those Sundays alone."  
"Interesting," Bubblegum said, shoving down the envy inside her chest.  
_Don't be silly_, she scolded herself.  
"Then I started spending some time with my old friend Haylan and I spent Sundays brushing up on my Swedish."  
Bubblegum looked at her friend, smiled slightly.  
"You speak _Swedish_?"

Marceline wrinkled her nose and shrugged her shoulders.  
"I don't like to say I _speak _it, I just know what Haylan's taught me."  
"OK," Bubblegum stopped walking and looked up at Marceline. "Show me what you know."  
"Huh?"  
"Speak some Swedish dude," Bubblegum said. "I love hearing different languages that existed before the Great Mushroom War."

Marceline looked down at Bubblegum, mere inches from her face.  
Those strikingly clever eyes, the curve of her cheeks, the gentle arc of her chin.  
The vampire swallowed, knowing just what to say.  
"Du är vacker," she told her. "Jag hoppas att någon har sagt det till dig."  
_**You are beautiful. I hope someone has told you that.  
**_Bubblegum smiled up at her friend.  
"Ich hoffe immer noch für uns," Bubblegum replied in German.  
_**I still hope for us.  
**_They both smiled at each other.

"It sounds beautiful, what did you just say?" Bubblegum asked.  
Marceline felt a half-smile tug at her mouth.  
"That you're my best friend."  
"What a coincidence," Bubblegum said. "I said that you're mine."  
And the two girls set off back down the path, both wondering how the other would feel if they knew what had _really _been said.


	13. Of Broken Silence

_**Author's Note: Guys, at the risk of embarrassing myself or sounding cringey, I really want to thank everyone who's followed and supported this story. :)  
I'm getting fantastic feedback both on here AND on Tumblr so thank you all so globbin' much!  
You all have such nice things to say and there's nothing that makes me happier than knowing that people legitimately enjoy my work!  
So thank you all SO much, I appreciate each and every one of you. :)  
OK, enough with the mushy crap, onwards with the story!**_

It was about three years after Marceline's return that a great alarm spread across the newly established Candy Kingdom.  
The banana guards were in a frenzy, the candy senators were deeply in dread, and every last citizen in the ever-growing settlement were shocked and alarmed beyond description.  
Their princess had been kidnapped.

Stolen from her bedchamber in the dead of night, the gumball guardians powerless to help, the princess had been taken away to the strange new empire that had recently appeared in the north of Ooo.  
Of course there was one inhabitant in the land who reacted with more despair, stress and upset to the situation than anyone else. But she hid it carefully, under layers upon layers of anger, vigour and a forceful determination to find the princess and bring her back.

With the full support of the Candy Kingdom behind her, Marceline set off to explore the mysterious new Ice Kingdom and rescue Bubblegum.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" Bubblegum rolled her eyes. "You're plan was to steal me away in the dead of night, bring me back to your home _against my will_ and then think I'd _date_ you?"  
"Pretty romantic, huh?" Ice King waggled his eyebrows.  
"_No_!"

It was then, with a mighty crash, that the roof of the ice dungeon caved in and Marceline was standing amongst the wreckage.  
"Wow, you guys have like zero defences," Marceline said casually, glancing backwards.  
Bubblegum smiled, both moved and delighted that the vampire had come to help her, and totally appreciative of how flat and straightforward the tall girl's remarks could be.  
The vampire spotted the candy princess in one of the dungeon's many cells and felt relief blossom in her chest.  
She was OK.

Ice King frowned up at the intruder.  
"What? Party pooper! Who the crud are you?"  
Marceline frowned down at her best friend's kidnapper, in battle position and ready to fight.  
But then she realized...

"Wait, _Simon_?"  
"What are you talking about? Get outta here, you're ruining me and Bubblegum's big date!"  
"It's not a date!" Bubblegum shouted over the sound of the Ice King sending a jet of frost at the vampire.

She dodged by pulling off a flawless mid-air barrel roll and then quickly floated closer to the new kingdom's ruler.  
"Simon, it's _me_!" she cried, desperation tingeing her voice. "Marceline! You _know_ me!"  
"Sure I do," Ice King replied. "You're Marceline the _burglar of my date!_"  
Another spurt of ice, blasted in Marceline's direction.  
She dodged again, swooped around the room and flew down behind the Ice King.  
"Simon!" she pulled at his head, making him turn around to face her. "Look. At. Me."  
This time, the Ice King did as he was instructed, and stared up at the tall girl, squinting his eyes at her.  
"Hey!" he suddenly cried in realization.  
Marceline smiled, her expression softening. He remembered! He knew her! He -  
"You're actually pretty cute!" the Ice King said sleazily. "Forget Bubblegum, huh? Maybe you and I should hang out sometime!"  
He laughed a sordid laugh that made Marceline feel as if her heart had been violated.  
Out of sheer rage, she shoved him forcefully away, forgetting her own strength and sending him smashing through the thick icicle bars of Bubblegum's cell.

"Nice work Marceline!" Bubblegum said, quickly climbing over the Ice King to get out. "Now let's punch out of this party!"  
"Sure," Marceline said, making sure that Ice King was still moving. "Let's go."  
She didn't say another word until they got back to the Candy Kingdom.

"Glob, thank you so much," Bonni told her, clambering off her back and down onto the floor of her bedroom. "That guy is seriously nuts! Although I think he's pretty much harmless. Just kind of a dope, don't you think?"  
She turned around and her eyes went wide when she saw Marceline doing something she had never seen her friend do before.  
"Marceline, are you-?"  
"No," the vampire sniffed hard, shoving her tears away with her arm. "I just – urgh. I...that's _him_ Bonni!"  
"Whuh?"  
Bubblegum had never felt so confused in her life.  
_Who_ was who? And why on earth was it making Marceline cry?

"Simon, the guy who looked after me after the Mushroom War," Marceline said, more coherently this time. "That was him."  
A pause. Bubblegum still looked perplexed.  
"The _Ice King_!"  
Bubblegum gasped, suddenly understanding.  
"Oh mein glob!" she cried. "Die magische krone – _that's _what the magic crown did to him?"  
Marceline could only nod, using her long mane of black hair to hide her eyes from view.  
"He's totally gone," she mumbled. "_Worse _than the last time I saw him. Bonni -"  
Marceline looked up at her most trusted friend, fresh tears filling her eyes.  
"He has _no idea _who I am!"

That was when Bubblegum ran to the vampire, throwing her arms around Marceline and embracing her in a tight hug.  
Her friend hugged her back, grateful for the warmth and closeness.  
"I'm so sorry Marcy," Bubblegum was saying. "That's just awful. I can't imagine what you're going through. I'm so, so sorry."  
After a short while, Bubblegum felt Marceline pull away from her.  
"I have to go," she said impassively.  
"Wait, what? Marceline, you can stay _here_, you can-"  
"No, it's alright, I really need to go."  
And with that, she floated emotionlessly out the window.  
"Marceline, wait! _Marceline_!"  
Bubblegum ran after her but it was too late. She was just in time to see Marceline float away through the early evening darkness.  
_Crud_, she thought to herself. _I really need to get better at stopping her from taking off!_

Needless to say, the whole kingdom was delighted upon their monarch's safe return.  
Peppermint Butler was beside himself with relief and that made Bubblegum feel deeply moved – the little guy had really grown to care for her!  
She waited up for most of the night, desperately hoping that Marceline would come back, and tried calling her four times the next day.  
But it was only late the next night when Bubblegum was getting ready for bed that she heard a gentle tapping on the balcony door.  
"Bonni? Can I come in?"  
Bubblegum walked over to the door and threw it open.

"You know," she said to Marceline. "One of these days, you're going to have to stop running away and ignoring me when you get upset."  
Marceline let out a small chuckle but Bubblegum felt like it sounded like it was forced.  
"Are you alright?" she asked the vampire, more gently this time.  
"Getting there," Marceline sighed. "Sorry for running off, uh, _again_. I just needed some time alone to reflect on junk. Think about Simon and me. Think about what Simon is _now_. It was a lot to process."  
"Of course," Bubblegum said, hardly able to register it herself.  
A father figure who loved and cared for you turning into _that_ embarrassing creature? Dear Glob.

"I'm sorry Marceline," Bubblegum said. "Is there anything I can do?"  
"Well, don't forget me for starters," Marceline laughed, but Bubblegum looked up at her seriously, knowing it wasn't such a joke to the vampire.  
"Never," she promised. "I'll always remember you Marceline."  
The vampire smiled gratefully.  
"Thanks Bonni," she said. "I appreciate that. I appreciate our entire friendship actually."  
Marceline looked down at the princess' nightdress, then glanced around the room.  
"But you look like you're getting ready to sleep. So I guess I'll see you in the forest tomorrow? It's Sunday evening yo!"  
Bubblegum gave her friend a compassionate look.  
"Wouldn't miss it for all of Ooo."  
Marceline just smiled.

The very next evening, the two girls wandered down forest paths and winding woodland trails together. They talked and laughed, joked and chatted, all the while enjoying each other's company and relishing in the warm late August air.  
"Seasons are changing again," Bubblegum sighed, looking at some of the leaves around them, already beginning to turn brown. "Is it just me or does immortality make the four seasons seem really, really quick?"  
"_Super _quick," Marceline agreed. "One minute it's summer, the next it's winter. One minute he's your dad, the next he's a screwball kidnapping your best bud."  
The vampire sighed, shook her head.  
"Sorry, I don't mean to be bitter, it's just-"  
"Marcy, if you need to talk about it, we can," Bubblegum pointed out. "You know I'm always here if you want to discuss anything."  
"I know. And I for you," Marceline reminded her friend. "But I don't know. Lately I've just been thinking a lot about change. About how something is here one minute and gone the next. And, well, I just don't ever want that to happen to you and me."

Bubblegum looked up at the vampire, visibly touched.  
"That's really sweet Marceline."  
"Well, there's no real _reason_ for us to drift apart," the princess' friend went on. "I mean, think about it dude. We're both immortal, we're both planning on sticking around Ooo. I think we should try to make it a priority that we never lose each other."  
Bubblegum's heart jumped in her chest, and not for the first time around Marceline either.  
"I think that should be first priority too," she concurred. "I mean, what me and Creampuff had is _nothing_ compared to-"

She stopped, eyes wide, hardly believing she'd been so stupid as to let herself think aloud like that.  
_Was haben sie getan? What have you __done__ Bonnibel?  
_She didn't dare let herself look at that vampire. She just felt her face go red and a light sweat break out as she tried desperately to think of a good explanation to excuse herself from saying something like that and-

"Hey, Bonni?"  
Bubblegum didn't look around at her, and tried desperately to keep her voice casual.  
"Yeah?"  
"Look at me for a second."  
Feeling more and more humiliated by the second, Bubblegum turned around and...

She felt Marceline's lips crash into hers, softly but with vigour.  
She felt arms take her gently (but _strongly_) by the waist and she felt her entire mind and heart quake in the reality of what was happening.

_I can't believe I'm doing this, _Marceline thought anxiously to herself. _Why am I doing this?  
_Had she ruined it all now? In one split second, had she taken a leap that turned out to be a mistake? Had she wrecked every sacred bond of friendship between her and this girl whose companionship she valued so much?  
But in the midst of her panic, she felt arms wrap around her neck and the candy princess' body push closer to hers.  
She felt their lips move together more cohesively as Bubblegum began to kiss her back.  
She felt a million things at once and they were all spectacular.

Bubblegum nearly yelped out loud when she felt a forked tongue lap at her mouth, as if asking permission.  
She opened her own lips slightly and let her own tongue come to meet Marceline's, making their kiss deeper and more intimate and sweeter. Much sweeter.  
They stayed like that for a long while, neither of them daring to move and break the embrace.

But eventually, they broke apart, Bubblegum looking up at Marceline as she did so. Seeing the uncertain look on the vampire's face, she smiled at her.  
And Marceline smiled back.  
Still wanting to be close to her, Bubblegum tilted her head forwards and gently leaned their foreheads together.

Marceline just closed her eyes and savoured every last second.  
"Marceline?" Bubblegum's whisper was the first word to be spoken after the kiss.  
"Yeah?" the vampire whispered back.  
"What now?"  
Her words were ominous but her tone was happy, _hopeful _even, and Marceline kissed her forehead before grinning at her.  
"We'll find the answer somewhere between dreams and plans Bonni," she told her.  
The princess grinned back at her.  
"Sounds good to me. Now give me another kiss."


End file.
